Ashes of Love and War
by TeaPlease1717
Summary: Troy has fallen. As the ashes of the war settle on the city, Shouto Todoroki finds a Trojan priestess fending off a group of soldiers. Prompted by a God's spell, Shouto makes a deal few Greeks would abide by. Can two people from opposite sides of the war ever find peace? Or love? AU Greek Mythology
1. Chapter 1: We Can (Not) Be Saved

Hey! Welcome to my fic for the BNHA Big Bang. This is dedicated to my beta, EmberStork, who has helped me with Cost of Freedom and Gosling and reigned me in when my characterizations were going off path. A while back, EmberStork requested a TodoMomo story set in ancient Greece, so here I am to deliver. I hope you all enjoy the ride.

A long note section before starting:

**First: **This is an AU, so characters will act differently to fit in with the time period and setting this is cast. I'm especially pointing this out because there will be mention of war, violence and slavery. And before you get upset that Shouto and the rest of the BNHA cast overlook the moral wrongness of slavery and killing, just remember that the whole Greek economy ran on war and slavery. The only reason Sparta was such a powerhouse was because slaves did all the manual work. With that said, I will try to keep the BNHA characters as in character as possible.

**Second: **A little history lesson, and sorry to those of you who love history, this is going to be really condensed and simplified.

So the Trojan war was a fabled war between the Greeks and Trojans (Troy was probably in modern day Turkey above Istanbul). It started when the Greek gods were having a party but didn't invite Hades, the god of the underworld. He was pissed so threw a golden apple into the party goers and said it was for the fairest woman. Of course, the Greek goddesses couldn't share any title so Athena, the goddess of wisdom, Hera, the goddess of the family, and Aphrodite, the goddess of love, all started fighting over the golden apple. They then turned to Zeus, the head of the gods, and asked him to choose. Only problem was that Zeus was a wuss and didn't want to get involved so had a human, Paris, choose which goddess was the most beautiful.

Paris ended up choosing Aphrodite and, to reward him, she made the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, fall in love with him. Only problem was that Helen was already married and so when she eloped with Paris her husband got super angry and gathered up all the Greeks to go fight against the Trojans. And since the gods couldn't sit back and watch, they all got involved too. Apollo, the sun god and patron god of Troy, Ares and Aphrodite all supported the Trojans while all the other gods supported the Greeks. The war lasted ten years and ended when the Greeks tricked the Trojans into thinking they had left but were really hiding inside a wooden horse.

Commission by: Honawaka - go to my tumblr or twitter (TeaPlease1717) to see the piece I had commissioned for this story!

A couple of shout outs. Thank you to all my betas: C's Melody and FlourChildWrites, could not have done this without you both. Seriously, thank you for pushing and encouraging me throughout this! And thank you Evieeburn125 for the fantastic art that will be included later in the piece!

For chapter 1 also thank you Estelle for giving this another set of eyes.

Disclaimer: The BNHA cast is not mine.

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**Chapter 1: We Can (Not) Be Saved**

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The world was ending.

That's how the Trojans probably felt, at least, as chilling screams echoed throughout the city.

Shouto stood on top of Troy's inner wall, watching as blistering, blue flames licked through the stone streets in the distance, setting houses ablaze and trapping those inside. He could already smell the burning bodies in the night air as a warm gust swirled through the carnage carrying the ashes of war.

It fell around him like black snow — dirty, suffocating. Everywhere.

Shouto opened his hand and caught a piece.

A cold hollowness reverberated through his chest. It was like an eagle's talons: digging into his flesh, puncturing holes in his skin, but instead of blood, his soul was seeping out. He pushed the sensation to the back of his mind.

He needed to sleep. Perhaps when the war was over, he'd finally be able to rest properly.

Shouto clenched his fist shut, smearing the ash in his palm. He turned away from the view, flicking the blood from the tip of his sword, Endeavor, as he stepped over severed limbs and mangled corpses and climbed back down the stone steps to the battle below.

It was like being whisked into a different dimension.

The air vibrated as swords clashed, and the smell of smoldering fire was replaced with the thick stench of blood.

Troy had nothing left but old men and children. And they fought desperately.

An old Trojan warrior spotted him as he stepped down onto the street. Underneath his helmet, the man's beard was speckled gray and lines had begun to carve into the sides of his eyes. The Trojan raised his weapon and launched himself at him.

Shouto's fingers twitched and he tightened them around the red hilt of Endeavor. The strong live, the weak die. He was strong, so he would live, Shouto reminded himself.

He blocked the man's strike.

Metal rung as steel collided. The man lost his balance.

Shouto didn't.

He stepped forward, his sword sliding through armor and flesh. He twisted and pulled the blade out. The man dropped to the ground with a scream, holding his stomach as his entrails poured out.

Shouto stepped over him.

Two more men charged forward.

Shouto didn't think as his right side unleashed his ice magic.

There was a pained shriek as cold spikes jutted up from the ground, impaling the first attacker.

Shouto pivoted and dodged the second man's blow. Spinning, he slammed the base of his sword into the man's skull. A loud crack echoed, and the warrior crumpled to the ground.

Shouto paused. He took a slow, deep breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He could feel the blood from the dead wet his feet between his sandals.

He looked down at the man he had just killed.

Three golden bangles glistened around his upper arm. Shouto hesitated before bending down and pulling them off.

Rocking back onto his feet, he pushed his red cloak aside to slide the bracelets up his own arm. And turned to watch his fellow Spartans push the remaining Trojans back. Their bronze shields overlapped to create an impenetrable wall as Prince Midoriya had once taught them to do.

He could see the whites of the Trojans' eyes. Their pupils were dilated in fear. They didn't stand a chance and they knew it. They were just stalling the inevitable.

A flicker of white in the black sky danced in his periphery and Shouto looked up.

Hovering above the masses, Kaminari Denki – the Erotes of Lust – paused to watch the fight. His figure shimmered slightly, indicating he was invisible to most mortals.

Shouto's eyes narrowed. He could make out Kaminari's yellow gaze sweeping over the street. The God's normally relaxed face was tense. He was looking for someone.

Shouto's lips thinned as he watched Kaminari turn from the fighting.

'_Aphrodite,'_ Shouto thought.

The gods were interfering again. One of Aphrodite's favorite warriors was in trouble, and she had sent Kaminari to whisk him away to safety.

Anger pulsed under his skin. Shouto rolled his jaw.

Let the gods play their games.

It was over now, not even they could change that.

Screams snapped Shouto's attention away from the God of Lust's retreating figure and back to the fighting.

A Trojan had broken through the Spartan's defense.

A small-framed boy with wide glassy eyes had slid under the soldiers' shields. His body was too skinny, denoting the harsh conditions the war had inflicted on the civilians. Even if he did survive the night, the boy's sunken eyes were evidence that he wouldn't live for much longer. He had gone too long without enough food.

A coldness bled through Shouto's veins. '_The strong live,' _he reminded himself.

He stepped forward.

The boy snarled and lunged at him.

He parried the boy's strike, sliding his sword effortlessly across the Trojan's throat in a quick, horizontal motion. A red line appeared, and the boy's head rolled off from his shoulders. Blood spurted into Shouto's face.

He staggered back.

"Todoroki!" someone yelled.

He stumbled and leaned his arm against the wall of a side alley, spitting. The blood had gotten into his eyes and stung like a dull bee's sting. He cracked an eye open and watched through blurry vision as Sero Hanata rushed up beside him.

"Todoroki, you okay?" Sero asked. He reached out and took Shouto's sword from his fingers.

Shouto took a moment and wiped the blood from his face with the back of his arm. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, spitting into the dirt.

Sero grimaced and nodded in understanding. He was about Shouto's own age. Tall and lean, with straight, chin-length black hair. He was a good soldier and dependable, although rather plain-looking.

"Sorry about letting that one through," Sero said. He paused for a moment and then lowered his voice. "You can go rest if you want. We're almost done. I know you haven't been sleeping much lately." He flashed Shouto a small smile that showed too much teeth.

Shouto didn't smile back. He was tired, and his mouth tasted of salt and copper. He spat again, to get rid of the taste, but it didn't disappear. Sighing, he pushed off from the stone wall, instinctively reaching back for Endeavor. The sword was an unbreakable blade that was magicked to never dull or rust. It was the only gift he allowed himself to keep from his father. "No. I can still fight."

Sero opened his mouth to say more, but desperate cries coming from the adjacent street made both men look up.

Women and children raced down the opposite street towards the inner city and the Trojans' last line of defense. On their heels were a group of Theban soldiers, their white armor splotched with blood as they grabbed the escaping civilians and killed any that resisted.

Sero tsked under his breath. "No discipline at all. They act like wild animals now that we've won." He sighed and turned back to Shouto. He clasped his shoulder. "Nothing we can do about it," he said, his voice soft, almost apologetic. "They lost. The best they can hope for is to be sold into slavery. It's the fate of the weak."

Shouto didn't respond as he watched one soldier break off from the group, dragging a woman by her long hair down the stone alleyway.

She screamed in anger, kicking out to gain leverage and pull out of his grasp, but the ground was covered with too much blood for her feet to find purchase.

The soldier pulled her past a fallen warrior and further into the alley.

Shouto's eyes narrowed at the same time the woman's hands skimmed over the silver handle of a knife lying next to one of the corpses. She picked it up.

The soldier hadn't noticed.

She swung the blade up, cutting through her long hair.

The warrior stumbled as the weight he had been pulling went slack. His eyes widened, and he hesitated, clearly confused.

The woman didn't wait for him to regain his bearings. She swung the knife around and buried it into his unprotected thigh.

The soldier screamed.

She jerked back, scrambling away, but she wasn't fast enough. The soldier swung his shield around and slammed the metal into her head. Her body hit against the alley wall, and she crumpled to the ground.

The man howled and lunged for her.

"Leave her."

The soldier paused. Blood ran down his leg in rivulets. The hard lines of his face tightened as he put pressure on the wounded limb. His eyes flashed dangerously. "Fuck you! The bitch stabbed me!" he swore, turning to look at the two Spartans.

Shouto stepped forward, sheathing his sword. "It's war. And it's your own fault for not paying attention."

The man's gaze burned. "What the fuck! Just because you're a Spartan, doesn't mean you can-" His eyes widened as Shouto bent down next to the woman, and the moon shone overhead to illuminate his red and white hair. The man took a stumbling step back. "You're –You're Shouto Todoroki. The God of War's son." His voice had become low. Reverent.

Shouto didn't respond. He reached out to the woman. Blood matted her now shoulder-length brown hair. He placed a hand in front of her mouth, checking to see if she was breathing. Light puffs of air warmed his palm. He exhaled silently and gathered her in his arms. Slinging her over his shoulder, he stood back up.

"You better get going," Sero said, flashing the soldier his strange smile as he took a step forward. "Unless you want to test your luck against me. I may be no Shouto Todoroki, but I'm pretty confident in my abilities." He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.

The man didn't answer and stared wide-eyed at the demigod.

Shouto turned and walked past them dismissively.

"Wait! Todoroki!"

He didn't pause as hasty footsteps sounded behind him, catching up. "Where are you taking her? To Prince Bakugou?"

Shouto hummed in acknowledgment, adjusting the woman on his shoulder as he followed the alleyways back towards the city's outer walls.

"He's not going to be happy that you're bringing him another one."

"He's never happy unless he's fighting."

Sero chuckled. "You mean unless he's beating up Prince Midoriya?"

Shouto snorted but didn't respond. It was no secret that the two princes didn't get along. It was partly why Midoriya had stayed behind during the war while Bakugou led the Spartan army to the northern nation. He had asked Shouto to stay behind with him, but he had ignored the Prince's request.

"You know?" Sero said, leaning in closer. "She's quite pretty actually. Too bad she went and cut her hair off."

Shouto shifted the woman on his shoulder as he maneuvered around the increasing number of soldiers. If he hadn't checked that she was breathing earlier, he would have thought she was dead. "It was to get away. He had her hair wrapped around his fist. If she had stabbed him first, there was no guarantee that he would've loosened his hold on her. It was her best option for escaping."

"Oh! That's pretty smart," Sero said, seeming genuinely surprised.

Shouto silently agreed. It was rare to find a woman with a fighter's spirit and the courage to act on it outside of Sparta. Other city-states didn't encourage those traits. Maybe they had been away from home for too long.

"You don't have to give her to Bakugou. You could keep her as a hetaera, I mean. I don't know why you haven't taken any hetaeras or helots for yourself anyways."

"I don't want any slaves."

"But when we get back to Sparta we'll be old enough to receive our own land," Sero said, making the sign for money. "And I'm sure Prince Midoriya and Prince Bakugou will reward you too; it's not every war we get a demigod to help us fight."

"It's not like we won because of me."

"That's true, but you still were undefeated, and if it wasn't for Apollo and your father, Ares, protecting the city, your ice could have easily brought down the wall."

Shouto scowled and threw Sero a dark look at the mention of his father.

Sero cringed and raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Sorry, sorry. I know you don't like talking about him. But it's the truth. You were just as powerful and scary as Achilles on the battlefield. Especially that time when you burned all those soldiers with that blue fire."

Shouto tensed, his throat tightened at the memory. He could still taste the blood and soot in his mouth and he pushed the memory away.

"Why do you keep bringing them to him anyway?" Sero continued. "You'd get good money if you sold them."

Shouto's eyes narrowed, and he waited several moments before responding. "He's the only one who won't let them be hurt or raped," he said finally, his voice low.

Sero blinked, and stared at him, then he made a small noise in the back of his throat and dropped his gaze. "Oh, I see." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Who would have guessed that the famed Shouto Todoroki would have a soft spot for women and children?" he asked under his breath.

Shouto rolled his jaw. Familiar anger rushed through him, and he welcomed it. "It's not like they asked for this war any more than we did. The gods just play with us mortals like we're pawns."

His voice grew thinner with every word until he was hissing through his teeth. "This all could have been avoided if not for their selfishness. If Zeus hadn't made the Trojan prince choose which goddess was the most beautiful, Aphrodite would never have made Helen fall in love and elope with him. And this war wouldn't have happened. We wouldn't have been here for ten years if not for them."

"I suppose that's true, but you shouldn't disrespect the gods so much," Sero said. He quickly glanced around as if he were afraid they were going to be struck down by one of Zeus' lightning bolts.

Shouto didn't answer.

The smell of burning flesh was growing stronger the closer they got to the outer walls. The abrasive scent stung his eyes and nose. Shouto's fingers twitched, and he gripped the woman over his shoulder tighter as they passed a pyre of burning corpses.

They came to the city's main square. The buildings here, once immaculate and opulent, had all been broken into and looted. The street was littered with shattered vases and anything not worth stealing. The broken shards crunched under Shouto's feet as he navigated his way forward and through the throngs of soldiers.

In the center of the square sat the Trojan horse, now empty but still standing proudly as a symbol of victory. Exuberant soldiers from every region crowded around the wooden behemoth, erecting tents and packing carts full of slaves and anything else valuable to take back to their city-states.

As he walked through the tents and men, Shouto could see the green capes of Athens, the white tunics of Thebes and the blue cloaks of Mycenae. There were other colors from smaller city-states that Shouto didn't recognize.

On the far side of the square, a group of red-cloaked Spartans were busy loading carts with valuables.

"Oi, Todoroki!" A man with spiky red hair jogged up to them and stopped to salute. Eijiro Kirishima was one of Sparta's top defenders and known as Prince Bakugou's right hand.

"Kirishima," Shouto said in greeting.

"Thought you were at the front?" Kirishima said, pausing to cock his head and look closer at the woman he was carrying. "You looking for Prince Bakugou again?" he asked, glancing at Shouto.

Shouto nodded.

Kirishima smiled, filed pointy teeth sticking out of his mouth. "He's over there," he said, pointing over his shoulder. "But be careful, he's been in a bad mood since earlier. He didn't find anyone worth fighting. He was hoping to bring down some great warrior, but all we've found in this section of the city were women and children." He sighed dramatically.

It was as Kirishima had said - Shouto found Katsuki Bakugou sitting in the back of an empty wagon watching the Spartan soldiers pile the other carts full of treasure. His red eyes narrowed on Shouto as he approached. "Fuck, half and half! Are you going to bring me every woman and small child in this city?"

Shouto laid the woman down next to him. She whimpered slightly and then fell quiet.

Bakugou huffed. "I don't need any more slaves," he threw the woman a quick glance before looking back across the street at his men loading the wagons. "You take her."

"I have no use for slaves."

Bakugou swiveled around to glare at Shouto. "Fuck you! And you think I need another one! It's difficult enough to find enough food for all my men." Bakugou growled low, in the back of his throat. "Besides, what the fuck did you do to round face's hair? She looks like a boy now."

"She cut it off herself. A Theban soldier had captured her, and she cut it to get away."

Bakugou's eyes widened slightly and he looked back down at the woman. Something indecipherable flickered behind his red eyes. He flipped a coin between his fingers before returning his gaze to Shouto. "Tsk. Fine. Leave her here, but this is the fucking last one," he said, his eyes narrowing.

"Fine."

"Now get out of here. Your fucking face is pissing me off. You look like one of the dead."

"You're always pissed off," Shouto retorted, turning on his heels.

Shouto walked back alone towards the inner city walls, taking a different route to avoid the slave wagons and burning corpses. A soft light was beginning to appear in the east, signaling daybreak.

Shouto rubbed the heels of his palms into his eyes. A headache was building in his temples.

Gods, he was tired.

If only he could rest. Really rest. Without worrying about the war and the nightmares.

Shouto ran a hand through his hair. At least it would all be over soon. That he knew for sure.

Then he was going to feast, take a bath and sleep for days. And maybe not in that order.

Pounding footsteps drew Shouto's attention to a group of twenty or so Athenians rushing down the street. Their eyes were bright with excitement.

Shouto's gaze narrowed as he watched them rush by. They were headed towards the city's main temple. He hesitated before curiosity overcame him. He followed after them at a slower pace.

There was shouting in the distance that increased in volume as he got closer. He rounded a corner and came to a halt.

A large limestone temple was on fire. Even as it burned, the structure was impressive. Its large white pillars stood as tall as eight grown men standing on top of one another's shoulders. At the top pediment, gods and heroes had been sculpted into great scenes of battle.

Shouto watched as bright red flames danced off of the roof, and a thick cloud of smoke lifted into the air and breathed out of the temple doors.

The Athenians that he had been following gathered around the front of the burning building. They were eager, like wolves on the trail of a hurt animal.

Shouto stepped on top of a fallen stone statue to see over their bronze helmets.

His eyes widened, and he inhaled sharply.

A Trojan priestess was standing in front of Apollo's temple wielding a spear. Her purple chiton was ripped up to her thighs and soaked with blood; long black hair lay plastered to her face with sweat and soot.

Nevertheless, she was stunning. With full lips and cat-shaped eyes, she had an earthy, natural beauty. If he didn't know better, he'd call her Helen or Cassandra, but both women had already been captured.

Shouto shifted to watch her strike at an Athenian, and he couldn't help but admire her skill. She fought better than most men, handling her spear with grace and speed. He hadn't heard of any women fighters in the Trojan army but, then again, he didn't pay attention to the soldiers' talk.

One of the warriors circling her lunged, and she sidestepped, swinging her spear down to split the man's heel. He went down with a sharp cry.

She pivoted and blocked another warrior's blow. Her breathing was labored; she was getting tired. The soldiers' attacks were increasing in frequency, and the circle around her tightened. She wouldn't last much longer.

A warrior lunged at her blind spot.

Shouto's heartbeat quickened. He wouldn't be fast enough to save her, and she hadn't seen the soldier attack.

Black shadows shot out from the temple's doorway behind her and blocked the soldier's strike. Dissipating into smoky vapors as they parried the blade.

Shouto's eyes widened. He stared in horror. Laying on the ground behind the priestess was a creature with the body of a man but head of a raven. He hadn't noticed the beast earlier as its body was the same black color as the smoke leaking out of the temple.

The priestess spun around and slashed at the soldier's stomach. He sidestepped and danced back to the safety of the crowd.

Shouto exhaled a slow breath and tried to right his thoughts. It was one thing for him to step in and save the priestess but an entirely different matter now that the creature was involved. It was no wonder the soldiers had been excited. Killing a monster akin to the minotaur would gain them fame and glory back home. They would think of the priestess as just part of their prize.

A white, hot pain slammed into Shouto's chest. He jerked and stumbled forward, catching himself before falling.

His lungs burned. It felt as if he had been punched in between the ribs by one of his father's fists.

Shouto's gaze darted down.

A gold-tipped arrow was protruding from the center of his chest. It had sliced perfectly through him without bending his armor.

Shouto's eyes widened. He had fought hundreds of battles over the last ten years and had never once been hurt.

He brought a shaking hand up to touch the arrow tip, but before his fingers could skim the head, the arrow began to glow and then dissolved into brightly colored lights. It was as if the arrow had become a swarm of multicolored fireflies that floated up towards the morning sky and disappeared.

Shouto stared. His breath felt like lead in his throat. He was shaking and simultaneously felt hot and cold as he looked at his chest and touched the area the arrow had protruded from. He brought his hand up to inspect his fingers, but his skin was dry.

It had been a god's arrow. One of Aphrodite's Erotes.

Shouto looked up sharply, expecting to find Kaminari floating in the sky. Instead, his gaze landed on the priestess, still fighting off the Athenian soldiers and the world stopped.

Shouto could hear his own heartbeat thumping in his ears. He could barely breathe. It was like he was drowning in a sea of tar. And he stared in cold fury as the warriors moved in on the priestess.

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Hope you liked this first chapter! I'll be updating every Sunday.

More Notes:

1\. Erotes - Aphrodite supposedly had multiple servants called Erotes, each representing a different form of love. In later stories these were combined and became her son, Eros. For this story, however, I'm keeping them separate.

2\. Hetaeras - mistresses

3\. Helots - slaves

4\. Cassandra of Troy - one of Apollo's priestesses. She was considered a beauty and even Apollo fell for her, but when she refused the God's advancements he cursed her to foresee the future but have no one believe her.


	2. Chapter 2: We Can (Not) Win

YOU ALL ARE SOOO AMAZING! I was so moved by all your love and support! Thank you so much! Now here is chapter 2!

Again, thank you to all my betas: C's Melody and FlourChildWrites. Seriously, thank you for pushing and encouraging me throughout this! And thank you Evieeburn125 for the fantastic art that will be included later in the piece!

For chapter 2 also thank you Estelle for giving this another set of eyes.

Disclaimer: Boku no Hero characters are owned by Hori. Only thing I own is the story and

**Xxxxx**

**Chapter 2: We Can (Not) Win**

**Xxxxx**

_'I have to win. I have to win. I can do this.'_

Momo grasped her spear with both hands and held it above her head, blocking another attack. The feeling of steel striking against her weapon reverberated through her arms and down her spine in painful vibrations. The blisters on her hands stung. In the back of her mind, she registered pain as a few popped and liquid leaked through her fingers.

She didn't have time to stop and inspect them.

Gritting her teeth, she bundled the pain, thrusting it to the back of her mind as she used her spear to shove the soldier back.

Her halberd spear had been specially made for her. Shorter than a normal lance, it was lightweight and durable. Instead of a wooden shaft, the entire weapon was made of tempered metal, and it had a hook on the end like an axe. Tokoyami Fumikage, the half-man half-bird guardian of the temple, had given it to her as a gift.

She spun the spear around to create room and returned to her position in front of her friend, panting heavily.

Ash whirled around her like a snowstorm. The smoke from the temple fire made it hard to breathe, and her body wasn't used to endurance battles. The times she had sparred with Tokoyami had all been quick, short skirmishes, and never against so many opponents at once.

Never against men who weighed twice as much as her.

The worst part was that the soldiers knew it. They were taking their time, wearing her down, slice by slice, until they could move in for the kill.

Momo clenched her jaw in frustration.

There was a hidden passageway underneath the temple that Tokoyami had dug over the last ten years. It was small and could only fit one grown man at a time. Some of the younger priestesses and orphaned children had already escaped through it. If they could just get to the passage, she could fight the men one on one.

They may be able to escape.

Tokoyami moaned softly behind her.

Momo's heart twisted painfully at the sound.

He was trying to keep quiet so she could focus, but he was fading fast. The smoke from the fire was getting to him, and his stomach wound was deep. He had lost too much blood. If she didn't treat him soon, he'd go into shock.

Her throat tightened.

She couldn't let him die. If he died, she'd be all alone again. Tokoyami was all she had left. And a part of her, no matter how unrealistic, had hoped that they could escape together. Wetness prickled at the corners of her eyes, and she blinked back the tears.

"Ah, your monster doesn't look too good. Don't think it will last much longer," one of the soldiers sneered from within the crowd.

Momo forced herself not to look. Pulling up mental barriers, she tried to block their voices as the rest of the men began to jeer at her, taunting her to look back at Tokoyami so they could close in. She knew the only reason they hadn't rushed her yet was because of the demigod. Although hurt, Tokoyami was still a frightening enemy. With his power over shadows, he had perfect offensive and defensive abilities. The soldiers were cautious for now, but that wouldn't last.

Momo squared her shoulders, grasping her spear tighter. She couldn't give up. Not yet. Not when Tokoyami was still alive.

She just needed time to think, but the never-ending attacks and the slow-building headache from the smoke weren't allowing her to.

One overconfident warrior stepped closer.

She thrust her weapon at him. And he jumped out of the way, bringing his sword down to jam her spear.

She twisted her weapon. Using the axe side of the spear, she tore at the Athenian's calf.

He screamed and fell to the ground; dropping his sword.

_'I can do this.' _

It was just like Tokoyami had made her practice. She whirled her spear around, slamming the butt into the soldier's head and knocking him unconscious.

Momo tore her gaze away as a flash of silver caught the corner of her eye. Instinctually, she twisted and jumped back. Her vision swam at the quick movement, and her foot hit the sword that the warrior had dropped moments before.

Her eyes widened as she fell, the momentum pulling her to the ground.

Her left hand hit first; a jolting, jarring pain shot up her arm. Momo hissed through her teeth as the fire licked through her wrist.

'_Stupid. She was so stupid.'_

"Yaoyorozu!" Tokoyami's dark shadows shot out of the ground to protect her.

She took a moment to look down at her wrist. It was slightly swollen. She flexed it experimentally, and relief flooded her. It wasn't broken, only a sprain.

"I'm okay," she said, using the spear's pole to pull herself back up. She tried to wrap her fingers around the weapon's shaft and flinched. Her eyes widened and she tried to grasp the spear again, but her wrist throbbed horribly. She swallowed over a sudden knot in her throat.

The warriors were watching her. Their eyes gleamed in the morning light, like a pack of wild dogs that had scented blood.

A sickening thud echoed through her chest and reverberated down to her stomach.

They knew.

A couple of men took a hesitant step forward. Momo spun her spear around and pushed them back, but her speed and strength were gone. A ripple passed through the crowd, and then they moved forward in unison.

She tried to breathe, but felt like she couldn't. Unwelcome tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. Anger and frustration filled her and made her heart pound in short little stutters.

Again. She was going to lose everyone she had ever cared for again, and the only person she could blame was herself.

If she could have just been stronger. If she could have been smarter and faster, then maybe she could have protected Tokoyami. Maybe he wouldn't have even been hurt in the first place.

It was all her fault.

Dread coursed through her as the Athenian's moved in.

No.

She wouldn't let them have him. They'd have to kill her first. He was all she had left. A desperate cry bubbled through her, and she clenched her hands as hard as she could around the spear. Preparing herself to fight.

"No! Yao-"

"Stop!"

Momo's heart stilled at the command, and she looked up.

Standing at the perimeter of the temple square was another soldier. He was lithe and taller than most men. Golden bangles wrapped around his left arm. Hanging from around his broad shoulders and billowing behind him was the red cape of Sparta.

Unconsciously, Momo swallowed as the warrior stepped forward. And she squinted through her tears and the smoke to get a better view of his face. He stepped into the early morning light, and she gasped.

The Spartan's hair was split evenly between two colors: half as red as blood, the other as white as fresh snow. Storm gray eyes, colder than steel, stared out from an otherwise soft face. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen, and yet, at the moment, all she felt was terror.

Shouto Todoroki.

The Spartan demigod was Ares' favorite son and renowned for his battle prowess. Every Trojan knew his name. He had taken down a whole battalion at the beginning of the war when he had only been sixteen.

He had burned them all.

His gray eyes swept impassively over the scene, and he stepped closer, making his way across the square.

Momo shivered.

"Get away," he said, his voice a low and even baritone. The men hesitated, and he touched his sword's hilt in warning.

A brave Athenian stepped forward. Momo couldn't see his face but suspected when he spoke that he was young.

"Fuck you, Todoroki. This is our kill. We were here first." His voice held the confidence of youth. He must have thought because they outnumbered the Spartan that he was safe.

Todoroki's voice lowered. "On what basis do you think you can fight me?"

Momo shuddered, and the man cowered back at the deathly edge in the Spartan's tone.

"Fuck. Just leave it. Don't mess with Ares' brat," an angry voice said from near her. Suddenly, her spear was wrenched from her hands.

She had let her guard down.

Momo's eyes widened, and she jerked back, but not fast enough as a hand roughly grabbed her sprained wrist. Momo gasped, both in shock and pain.

"We'll just take her then." The words had barely left the Athenian's mouth when the soldier stilled. His hold on her wrist went slack, and he dropped dead at her feet. A sword with a red hilt protruded from his forehead. The Athenians froze in surprise as the warrior hit the ground.

Then Todoroki moved, and there was chaos.

He was as deadly as the stories had said. He killed everyone, showing no mercy as he worked his way through the soldiers.

He slammed his hand on the ground and ice erupted from the earth. Six Athenians were immediately impaled. Screaming. He stood back up.

His movements were fluid, like a dancer. No wasted movement, no hesitation. He made it look effortless as he picked the warriors off one by one with deadly precision.

It was utterly terrifying.

A warrior charged. He slashed at him, intending to cleave the demigod in half. Todoroki slipped low, under the sword. He pulled a short dagger from the soldier's side and slammed it into his throat. The man died, choking on his own blood.

Todoroki skimmed the ground and picked up a fallen warrior's sword. Another attacker came from behind him, and he spun, avoiding the strike. He brought the weapon down, cutting off the Athenian's arms.

Momo just stared. Fear unlike anything she had ever experienced gripped her heart. It felt like she had been frozen, rooted to her spot, unable to move a muscle as she watched him tear through the remaining men.

He blocked another attack, sliding the other warrior's sword off his own with a resounding clash of metals. Then, with a quick movement, the demigod cut off the man's head. It hit the ground with a heavy thud, and Momo realized that he had been the last one. No one was left, only the sickening stench of blood and smoke. He had killed them all.

Todoroki paused. He took a deep breath and threw the sword to the ground. Then he turned towards her, and his eyes flashed.

Ice curdled in her veins.

Blood speckled his face and covered his armor. He was intimidating, but it was his eyes that scared her the most. During the fight, his gaze had been cold, almost impassive, but now, as he looked at her with those steel-gray eyes, all she saw was a gluttonous possessiveness reflected back at her.

It was terrifying.

She needed to move; she needed to get away, but her limbs wouldn't listen. Momo shook as he approached. Her whole body trembled but wouldn't listen as she ordered herself to run.

He reached a hand out towards her.

She inhaled sharply, and her eyes widened as his fingers skimmed her cheek.

A vice-like grip closed itself around her arm and wrenched her away as black shadows shot out of the ground, forcing Todoroki to jump back.

"Yaoyorozu, go! Get out of here! I'll buy you time with dark shadow," Tokoyami rasped. He was barely standing. Blood was streaming down his front.

"Toko-"

"Go!" Tokoyami roared. His yellow eyes flashed in warning as he looked over his shoulder at her.

Momo hesitated. She couldn't leave him. He couldn't fight like this. Todoroki would kill him.

A roaring sound tore Momo's eyes back to the middle of the square.

Bright, hot flames slammed heat across the temple, burning through Tokoyami's shadows like dry leaves.

In the middle of the firestorm, Todoroki stood unhurt.

Tokoyami dropped to his knees. Gasping. He had used all his power in the last attack, she realized.

Todoroki's gaze narrowed on Tokoyami. His face was enraged. He raised his left hand.

Cold sweat dripped down Momo's neck. He was going to kill him. She couldn't let him. She couldn't be alone again. If she could just save Tokoyami. If she could just keep him alive.

If she could.

Momo's body moved before she could think. She flung herself in front of Tokoyami, and both men froze. It was like Kronos had stopped time.

For a moment, Todoroki just stared at her, and then his face hardened. "Move."

"No." Her voice was a whisper, but she was thankful it came out firm.

His eyes flashed, and she thought she saw the same desire from a moment earlier swirl back through them before he pulled his indolent mask back into place.

She swallowed. She was walking on a thin rope. If she dared to look down, she'd fall, but if she played her cards right, she could win. "I won't! Not unless you let me save Tokoyami. He's hurt already. He needs help. Let me save him."

"Yaoyorozu, no!"

Todoroki's eyes narrowed. The fire leaped all around him, making his eyes glow bright silver. It made him look harsh. Dangerous. Everything within her warned that this was not a man to cross. He was a step above them, but they were out of options. There was no way she or Tokoyami could fight him now that they both were exhausted and hurt. This was their best option for survival.

She raised her head and looked him in the eye. "Let's make a deal!" There was a sharp inhale behind her. She ignored the temple guardian as she continued. "Let me save Tokoyami, and I promise I'll be your slave for as long as you want me. I won't run. I'll do whatever you ask. I promise." Her eyes stung and she bit her lower lip to keep from crying. "Just please, I can't let him die."

Todoroki's eyes shot down to her lips. His face didn't show any emotion, but she got the distinct impression that he was fighting against something.

Slowly, he walked closer.

"Yaoyorozu, no! You have to run. Please!" Tokoyami's voice was weak. She could barely hear him now, and she had to stop herself from turning around as she felt his hands reach for her, his fingers skimming against her calf.

She clenched her hands into fists and straightened. She was thankful she wasn't trembling anymore.

Todoroki stopped in front of her, and she forced herself to meet his gaze. She could feel the three fates measuring out her life's thread. Whether to extend the string or to cut it she did not know.

"Fine." His voice was a low baritone. "I accept." It must have been her imagination, but he seemed to relax. "From now on, you'll be mine. I'll let you do what you can to save your monster. But I won't help you, and you aren't to bother anyone else. If it lives, it's because of your own actions."

Momo jerked as his hand slipped around her neck to close around her nape. His grip was gentle but firm enough for her to know she was powerless against him.

His thumb stroked over her pulse. "Deal?"

Momo shivered at the unchecked dominance in his tone. She swallowed, but made sure not to drop her gaze. "Yes. It's a deal."

His eyes flashed in triumph, and his fingers tightened possessively around the nape of her neck. He leaned down. Momo closed her eyes and forced herself to remain still as his mouth met hers.

She could endure it. She would. Anything to save Tokoyami.

* * *

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed.

Also, I want to make it absolutely clear that there will be NO rape in this story. I can't handle rape and so will not be writing it. With that said, most Greek stories center on woman being raped so there will be references/fear of un-consensual sex but I would never do that to my favorite characters.

Notes:

1\. Yes, both of Todoroki's eyes are gray right now and he doesn't have a scar.

2\. Momo is not weak, she just thought the most practical way for both Tokoyami and herself to survive was to make a deal with Shouto.

3\. Halberd spears – sorry, these actually weren't used until the 14th or 15th century, but we'll just say Momo had a prototype. It's a spear with a hook like an axe head.


	3. Chapter 3: We Can (Not) Desire

Thank you again for everyone who read and reviewed! I truly appreciate all of you more than words can describe!

Shout out to my awesome betas: FlourChildWrites and C's Melody! Thank you so much for looking this over multiple times.

Disclaimer: Boku no Hero characters are owned by Horikoshi.

* * *

Warmth spread throughout Shouto's body as his lips pressed against hers.

She tasted sweet, like honey and red wine. He couldn't remember the last time he had tasted something so good, or anything for that matter. Maybe in a time before the war.

Reluctantly, he broke the kiss, pulling back slightly until he could look down at her.

His heart stuttered. She was flushed and still breathing heavily from her fight. Dark eyes as black as the darkest of nights glittered as she stared back at him.

An unnamed feeling clenched in Shouto's stomach.

She was beautiful. All he wanted was to wrap her in his arms and hold her gently. Shield her from the world. He leaned back into her, wanting more. Needing more.

Absently, his thumb brushed over her pulse. She flinched. A look of apprehension flashed across her face before she could hide it. Suddenly, it wasn't the priestess' face Shouto saw anymore, but the tear-stained face of his mother.

She thought he was going to hurt her, he realized.

The thought was like a bucket of cold water. Shouto jerked away and released her neck, taking a step back. His heartbeat rung in his ears. He had promised himself that he would never be like _that_ man, and yet, here he was, forcing himself on her.

Shouto flexed his fingers in anger and curled his trembling hands into fists. He took a long shuddering breath to calm himself and was hit by the thick stench of blood and ash.

Shouto looked up. Ash swirled through the air as the roof of the temple continued to burn furiously. The structure looked like it could fall at any moment.

They couldn't stay there.

Unthinking, Shouto brought his left hand to his side to rest upon Endeavor's hilt but stopped short as he remembered he had left the sword impaled in a man's head. He dropped his hand back down to his side and looked back at the priestess. "What's your name?"

She started, and then straightened, pulling her shoulders back with all the grace of royalty, as if she hadn't just agreed to enslave herself. "Momo. Momo Yaoyorozu of the Temple of Apollo," she said. Her voice carried the faintest tremor.

Shouto nodded. He didn't know what else to say. Part of him was tempted to lean back in and reclaim her lips, but he pushed the feeling away.

He wasn't sure why he had kissed her in the first place or agreed to their arrangement for that matter. He had never been particularly fond of slavery. It was a necessary evil that powered his home State's economy, but he had never cared to partake. The contradiction left him wondering what had suddenly changed his mind.

Shouto's lips thinned into a straight line. In the moment, her offer had just felt right. An equal exchange for... His eyes slid to the side and landed on the half-man that she had been protecting.

The monster was badly hurt.

Abdominal wounds were tricky. They could either mean a slow, cruel death as the organs bled out, or they were low enough on the stomach to not leave lasting damage if stitched up properly. Either way, even if Shouto brought the creature back to camp, no surgeon would operate on it. It would be a miracle if it survived. The merciful thing would be to end the beast's suffering before its internal organs slowly failed …His expression grew hard. Shouto took half a step forward.

Abruptly, the priestess moved in front of him, throwing her arms out wide, and pulling Shouto from his thoughts.

Her dark eyes flashed. "You promised you wouldn't hurt him," she said coldly. "I gave myself to you, and you promised to let me heal him. You can't go back on it so soon. If anything happens to him I'll... I'll..." Her bottom lip quivered faintly.

Shouto opened his mouth and then shut it. His chest tightened at the accusation in her tone. Something deep within him wanted to reassure her that everything would be alright, to trust him, but he had never been good with words, not like Midoriya, and he didn't know what to say that she'd believe. Shouto's jaw tightened. "I've never broken a promise before. And I won't start now," he said sharply.

She searched his face. Shouto swallowed through a suddenly dry throat and looked away. "We need to get going," he continued, his gaze falling on the dead scattered across the temple square. "We have to get back to camp before someone comes looking for them. I'm not in the mood to deal with questions."

He didn't wait for her to respond. Shouto turned and made his way to the warrior impaled by Endeavor. He stopped and took a silent breath. Then, squared his shoulders and pulled the sword from the soldier's head with a small grimace. Blood and brain matter shot out and sprayed his shins.

'_The strong live. The weak die,'_ Shouto reminded himself as he flicked the blood from Endeavor's steel body. He was strong, so he had lived. That was all there was to it. He shivered and sheathed Endeavor at his side, before glancing back at Yaoyorozu.

She crouched down next to the creature, checking its wounds. For a moment, Shouto appraised her silently. She was strong for a civilian — both in her ability to wield a weapon and her composure when dealing with him. He had been told countless times how intimidating and off-putting he could be with his deadpan expression and cold demure and yet, she didn't shy away from his touch or tremble when he spoke to her.

Shouto frowned. The warmth spreading throughout his body as he watched her was foreign. He wondered again what had compelled him to accept her deal.

He had never desired a slave before. It grated on some small moral compass that Shouto kept buried deep in the middle of his chest. And the fact that he wasn't angry or at least appalled by the sudden turn of events and his decision to accept Yaoyorozu as a slave was, admittedly, a bit confusing.

Had Kaminari done something to him?

Unconsciously, Shouto touched the place where the god's arrow had lodged. Gods were nefarious creatures, infamous for their meddling and influencing of mortals, but he didn't feel any different after the attack. Shouto replayed the last couple of minutes through his mind. The only thing he had done differently was kiss Yaoyorozu.

Perhaps the erotes of lust had made him a kissing fiend?

Shouto scowled at the thought. That explanation didn't seem right, but he didn't have any other answer. Kaminari's motives escaped him entirely, and it infuriated him.

Yaoyorozu wiped at her eyes with the back of her arm, and Shouto jerked back to attention as her composed mask slipped. An electric shock jolted through him as desperation flashed across her features, and she looked around, trying to find something to staunch the bleeding.

Shouto's chest tightened. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt guilty. As if her distress was his fault.

He rolled his jaw and turned, his gaze landing on the dead soldiers. The green cloaks of Athens were wrapped around their shoulders. Shouto strode over to the nearest one and tore it off the soldier's corpse.

The dead had no use for clothes in the underworld, he thought, shaking the material out. He turned back towards Yaoyorozu. "Here."

Yaoyorozu looked up. Her face was slightly pale, and her eyes were dark with desperation that she was barely keeping in check. Her hands were pressed firmly against the wound, trying to staunch the blood loss.

They needed to get it back soon. It was hard to tell how hurt it was with the amount of blood covering its torso. He knelt down beside her. "Wrap this around its wounds," he said, holding out the cloak.

Yaoyorozu looked at the fabric for a heartbeat, then her eyes widened and she hastily snatched the cloak from him. "He's losing too much blood," she said, her voice wooden as she pressed the cloth onto the wounded area.

Shouto's eyes hardened. He could practically feel the despair dripping from her words. "We can't treat it here. We'll have to bring it back to camp," he said. His lips thinned into a straight line. "I'll lift it up while you wrap it." He paused for a moment and looked at her. "Have you wrapped a wound before?"

Yaoyorozu gave a short nod. "But we need to stop the bleeding as much as possible before we move him." She swallowed and took several deep breaths as though she were trying to steady herself. "I'll need a stick or something to hold the knot closed. It needs to be fastened tight enough to put pressure on the wound and stop the blood flow."

Shouto nodded. His gaze landed on Yaoyorozu's spear that had fallen a few feet away. Shouto pulled himself up and grabbed it. It was a beautiful piece of metalwork, but he didn't waste time as he snapped the handle in half. He brought the smaller bar back to her.

Yaoyorozu barely glanced up as he held it out. Her breathing was erratic as she snatched it from his hands.

Shouto moved to sit on the other side of the half-man. Hooking his arm under its back, he pulled it up into a seated position.

The creature groaned faintly at the movement. Yaoyorozu swallowed. Then her face hardened in concentration, and she went to work. With swift, diligent movements, she began to wrap the cloak tightly around the creature's stomach.

It occurred to Shouto that she must be used to treating wounds. During the war, the average Trojan citizen or soldier had nowhere else to go besides the temple for help. She must have seen her fair share of injuries. The knowledge filled him with a certain awe as he watched her slender fingers pull and tighten the cloth into a tight knot.

Yaoyorozu sat back on her heels. She took a deep, shuddering breath and then looked at him, massaging her wrist. Her hands were dyed red. "This should hold for now, but I have to hurry and start treating him." She stood up and her gown rode up her legs, showing off creamy skin. A foreign emotion bloomed in Shouto's stomach as his eyes moved up her pale legs. "I'll be ready in a moment, I just need to get him up."

Shouto's eyes roamed over her skin, and his mouth went dry.

Gently, Shouto laid the creature back down on the ground. He stood up. His fingers moved to his neck, unbuckling his cloak. "Here. Wear this until we find you something," he said, pulling off his cape. He held it out.

Yaoyorozu stopped her fidgeting. Her brows furrowed, and her dark eyes flickered in confusion as she glanced up at him. Hesitantly, she reached out and took the cape, swinging it around her shoulders.

She was only slightly smaller than him, yet the red material dwarfed her. She clasped it shut, staining the gold clip red with blood.

Shouto turned his attention back to the creature as she adjusted the material. He bent down, hooking a hand under its knees and another on its upper back. Slowly, he hoisted the beast up. Shouto glanced back at Yaoyorozu, and his stomach twisted. She was looking at him with fear in her eyes again. And he stiffened, unsure of what he had done. "What?" he asked, ungracefully.

Yaoyorozu stepped closer. "I can do it! Please, don't hurt him," she said, bringing her hands up to clench in front of her heart and gingerly rubbing at one of her wrists again.

Shouto paused as realization dawned on him. She thought he was going to renege on his promise. His jaw twitched. "It's fine. You're exhausted, and it will be troublesome if someone came and found us now. They'd think your guardian was the one who had killed these men and want to hold him responsible," he said, hoping his explanation would ease her worries.

Yaoyorozu stared at him. She licked her lips nervously. "But I...I don't want to break our agreement. You said I have to take care of him myself, and you've already helped me bandage him."

Shouto paused and looked at her. "Don't worry. I won't count this as a breach of our agreement," Shouto said, adjusting his hands.

She swallowed and nodded, and then Yaoyorozu was at his side, her hands reaching over the creature to apply pressure to the wound. "Please, we have to hurry."

Shouto's chest tightened, and he nodded, setting a brisk pace back to the Spartan camp. She seemed to relax slightly as they moved away from the temple.

"Thank you," she whispered and Shouto felt more warmth than he probably should have at her words.

Xxxx

Bakugou was waiting for them on the outskirts of the Spartan camp, surrounded by what felt like half of the Greek army. The men created a semi-circle around them as they looked at the creature Shouto was carrying with awed horror. It was claustrophobic. He felt like he was on some sort of display, and Shouto's muscles in his neck tightened.

He stopped a few paces away from the Prince.

Bakugou's red eyes narrowed on the creature in Shouto's arms. "What's this? A pet for me to keep?" Bakugou said with disdain.

Shouto didn't budge. He shot him a leveled gaze. "I need a clean place. Can you help?"

Bakugou's lips pulled back to show his pointed teeth. "Why the fuck should I do that? I told you I won't take any more slaves. And I certainly don't need a half-dead bird."

Yaoyorozu stepped forward. Shouto tensed as she moved to stand beside him. "Please. I made a deal with Todoroki." She touched her hand to her heart. "I gave him my life in exchange for letting me save Tokoyami."

Surprise flashed briefly across Bakugou's face. He looked between them and rolled his jaw. "What the fuck is this, half-and-half?" he asked, his eyes shining with barely suppressed anger.

Shouto shifted, blocking Yaoyorozu from view and Bakugou's building fury. The Prince's eyes narrowed.

"It's as she said. I have guaranteed that she can _try_ to heal it, in return for her life." Shouto could feel the priestess fidget nervously behind him. The tension in his shoulders tightened. He consciously had to stop himself from gripping the half-man too tightly.

A moment passed as Bakugou stared at him, and then his eyes widened. Something indecipherable flashed behind Bakugou's gaze. "Fine," he said, his voice barely loud enough for Shouto to hear it. He turned towards the group of Spartans gathering around them.

"Grape head!"

A young boy with a head of curls so tightly packed that they looked like the dark purple grapes of the vineyards wobbled forward on shaky legs. If Shouto remembered correctly, his name was Mineta Minrou, and the Spartan had gotten in trouble with the Prince for his lewd jokes as well as trying to touch some of the camp women.

Bakugou's lips pulled back into a snarl. "Go get a place ready for me. I want clean straw and a hot bath."

The boy's mouth pulled down into a scowl. "I already got you a place ready," he muttered under his breath.

Bakugou's eyes narrowed. "What was that?" The boy yelped in fear; sweat began to bead his forehead. Bakugou ignored his evident terror as he continued, "I want it far from here. I don't want the fucking half-human smelling up my quarters," he said harshly.

The small boy nodded and scuttled off. The next moment, Bakugou was leading them to the back of the Spartan territory right by the outer walls. As they passed soldiers setting up tents, Bakugou would growl and order the men to move or he'd leave them in Troy to find their own way back home. The men would blanche and quickly pack up. They continued, until they came to the outer section of the Spartan camp and one of the only fully intact houses.

Bakugou pushed open a door and then stepped back. Shouto ushered Yaoyorozu through the entryway and walked in after her. It was a one-room house with a tiled roof. There was little to it that wasn't immediately apparent.

A wooden four poster bed sat against the far wall covered in thick blankets. The only other pieces of furniture were a rectangular wooden table sitting in the middle of the room surrounded by wooden chairs and a wooden basin filled up with fresh water. Whatever dirt or debris left behind by the original inhabitants had already been cleaned up.

It was supposed to be Bakugou's quarters, Shouto realized as he strode across the room and laid the creature down on the table.

The priestess was immediately at his side, checking on her temple guardian. Shouto cracked his neck and turned back towards Bakugou. The Prince leaned against the door frame and gave him a leveled look. "I'll send someone with food and wine."

"May we also have warm water, a clean cloth, flax or hemp, and a needle?" A feminine voice cut in.

Shouto stopped and turned to stare at the priestess in surprise. Yaoyorozu folded in on herself slightly as his gaze met hers. Her fingers played with the edge of his cape, twisting the material around her red fingers that had already started to cake. "Please…my… my Prince," she added softly, her gaze dropping to the floor nervously.

Shouto's chest tightened. The room suddenly felt too small, and he shifted to shield Yaoyorozu from Bakugou's unavoidable outburst at her request, his insides coiling, ready to defend the priestess. When he glanced back at the Spartan Prince, he paused. Bakugou was unusually calm. His red gaze steely as he looked at him.

Shouto's fingers twitched uneasily as the Prince continued to silently assess him. It was unsettling for Bakugou to be so quiet. The Prince was never calm unless the situation really called for it. Shouto wondered if he was missing something. He narrowed his eyes and tried to read the Prince's hard expression, but whatever Bakugou was thinking was carefully masked.

After a moment, Bakugou kicked off from the door and turned away. "Water, clean cloth, needles, and flax," he repeated, without the usual sneer to his tone. "Got it. I'll send someone," he said, sliding out of the doorway and leaving Shouto alone again with the priestess.

Shouto silently exhaled, annoyed at the situation. He'd have to question the Prince later. He turned back towards the priestess, taking his hand off of Endeavor's hilt. He paused and looked down, startled.

He couldn't remember having touched his weapon.

* * *

So I was pretty worried about this chapter and still am not sure I love it, but hopefully it turned out okay. It's a little rest after the excitement of the first two.

On to notes:  
The war and his past have made Shouto a hardened soldier. He knows anger and hate, but these new emotions that are beginning to stir within his chest are confusing and he has nothing to compare them to. On a basic level he knows Kaminari has done something to him, but he can't figure out what that was. And as his mind reaches for answers the only conclusion he can come to is that he now wants to kiss the Priestess Momo Yaoyorozu. Which, even Shouto recognizes as strange. And he ponders what Kaminari's true motives were. In his inner confusion, he misses the other emotions that should seem out of place for acquaintances. It's not until Bakugou begins to act strangely that Shouto truly begins to suspect that something is wrong.


	4. Chapter 4: We Can (Not) Trust

Thank you C's Melody and Flourchildwrites for betaing!

Disclaimer: Boku no Hero characters are owned by Horikoshi.

Xxxx

**Chapter 4: We Can (Not) Trust**

Xxxxxx

Momo washed the blood off of her hands, scrubbing her arms and between her fingers ritualistically. The golden hues of the setting sun cascaded through the house's single window and highlighted the water in the basin as the liquid turned a deep cooper. In the distance, the sound of a lute started, accompanied by the muffled singing of the Greeks as they began their celebratory feasts. In the air, Momo could detect the faint scent of roasting lamb over the smell of decaying bodies and smoldering smoke.

It made her stomach churn.

She bit her lip and looked over her shoulder at Tokoyami. The temple guardian was still unconscious. The human parts of his body, sticking out from under a wool blanket, were pale and covered in sweat.

The operation had taken the whole day. The wound on Tokoyami's stomach had been severe, but the more concerning problem had been the amount of blood he had lost by the time she had been able to treat him. It was a miracle that he'd survived at all, and the foul stench of the Styx River still sat thickly on her tongue like molding bread.

Momo looked back at the darkening water and paused as her chest tightened and her breathing grew fainter. The terror and anxiety that she had carefully sealed away during the procedure began to slowly leak through the cracks of her control. And Momo was helpless to stop her thoughts as all the possible scenarios began to flicker through her mind, reminding her of how precarious Tokoyami's situation was.

Closing her eyes, she swallowed nervously over a dry throat, clamping down on her thoughts.

She wasn't going to panic.

She had been the Temple's top healer, known for her calm demeanor under pressure and extensive knowledge of medicine. She had stitched hundreds of injuries before, some worse than Tokoyami's wound. There was no reason for her to get emotional now.

Momo took a deep breath and returned to rinsing her hands furiously. Tokoyami would pull through. He had to. He was the closest thing to family she had left. He would never abandon her.

She didn't know if she could be alone again.

A stabbing pain shot through her wrist, pulling her from her thoughts. Momo stopped and frowned, touching her hand. She had neglected to treat her wrist before beginning the operation, and the constant movement and precision needed to sew Tokoyami's wound had only aggravated the sprain. With the amount of strain she had put on it, it wouldn't be surprising if it swelled up, and she'd be unable to use it for a couple of weeks. It would hinder her from protecting Tokoyami, but it had been a risk she had knowingly taken.

Momo pulled a towel from the back of a chair, her gaze sliding to the side to discreetly look at Shouto Todoroki as she dried her hands. He had watched her the entire day, barely moving from his spot leaning against the opposite wall, except for when he had wordlessly left to change clothes or the few times he had replaced the water she'd used during the operation.

Momo diverted her attention as he looked up and his gray eyes caught her stare.

Until Tokoyami could protect himself, she'd have to be careful. There were plenty of men who wouldn't hesitate to use the temple guardian as leverage to bend her to their will. She doubted Todoroki would be any different. She was just another person for him to conquer. Even if he had helped her more than what their agreement had stipulated, he would most likely ask more from her in return.

Her stomach curled. Momo frowned. She'd have to stay on her guard around him. She'd already shown too many of her weaknesses; it was just a matter of time until he used them against her.

Momo picked up the water basin and emptied it outside. She turned sharply back towards Tokoyami, and black spots danced across her vision. Momo stumbled, catching herself on a warm arm that suddenly wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a hard chest and steadying her body. Momo stilled at the contact.

"You're exhausted," Todoroki's deep voice rumbled. The sound seemed to travel through her back and down her spine.

She pushed down a shiver and forced herself to look at him. Todoroki's face was tense and his expressionless eyes steely. He had cleaned the blood off and changed into a regular blue chiton. Up close, she could catch the faint smell of olives. The muscles under her fingers rippled.

Momo pushed herself up. "I'm fine. I just tripped," she said, taking a step back and out of his arms.

Todoroki let her go without any resistance, but his eyes seemed to narrow. He looked her up and down. Momo was uncomfortably reminded that she was still in her torn chiton as his cold, gray eyes examined her. In the back of her mind, she wished she hadn't taken off his cape, no matter how impractical it would have been to perform surgery with it on.

She forced herself not to shift under his stare. This was a game — cat and mouse. The best defense she had against him right now was to hide her fear; it would only be used against her.

Todoroki's gaze returned to her face.

"Go clean up. You're done for tonight," he said after a moment.

Momo's lips thinned; she pulled her shoulders back and turned away from him with all the grace she could manage. "I'm not tired," she said, making her way back towards Tokoyami. "I've had longer days than this. Besides, I still need to make more medicine and clean Tokoyami's other wounds. I'll rest once I'm done." She placed the water basin back under the window and turned back around. Todoroki was right behind her.

Momo swallowed.

She hadn't heard him move.

His eyes glittered as he loomed over her. "Do it tomorrow. You haven't eaten or rested all day. You're going to get sick." He glanced over at Tokoyami lying on the wooden table. "It will be fine for another day."

Something twisted inside of her, and then a fit of anger that she didn't realize she possessed roared through her. Momo clenched her hands into fists; her eyes narrowed. "No, I won't!" she said harshly. "The first twenty-four hours are the most critical for a patient's recovery. I need to monitor his condition carefully to ensure his body doesn't reject the sutures, or he doesn't come down with a fever," she explained, trying to keep her voice from trembling with rage.

Todoroki's face hardened. And Momo felt her anger disappear as fast as it had come; her heart stalled. She had overstepped. She could feel his mounting frustration beating off of him like waves onto rocks, and she braced herself. She still knew next to nothing about the Spartan, and Momo had seen women battered for smaller offenses. If he grew serious, she wouldn't stand a chance against him, especially with her injury.

Todoroki rolled his jaw. "That's fine and all, but don't forget that you promised yourself to me." His tone had an edge to it. He reached forward and wrapped his fingers around her left wrist. Momo hissed and flinched at the unexpected contact. Todoroki released her, and his eyes widened as she pulled back.

"You're hurt." He sounded genuinely surprised.

Momo brought her hand up to cradle it against her chest. Her wrist ached slightly. He hadn't grabbed her roughly, but it had been enough to aggravate her already wounded hand. "It's just a sprain," she said, looking away. "I fell. It's nothing serious."

"You were working this whole time without treating it?" he asked in a low voice.

Momo's lips thinned. "I'll wrap it properly after I finish."

Todoroki was silent for a moment. "Is that creature really that important that you'd neglect your own health just to heal it?" he asked coldly.

Momo looked up sharply and glared at Todoroki. "He is not an 'it'! Tokoyami is the most important person to me. He's all I have left...If anything...if anything..." Her voice trailed off as her vision blurred, and she felt wetness start to accumulate on her lashes.

Thinking about Tokoyami made it hard to breathe, and the additional emotional whiplash from the day was making her head hurt. She bit her lip as she struggled to tamp down on her anger and terror but it was too late. Her body had betrayed her. Momo closed her eyes in horror as she felt the first couple teardrops slip over her cheeks and patter onto the wood floor.

She heard Todoroki step closer. "Go to bed."

"No!" Momo's eyes snapped open; she shook her head as more tears flowed down her cheeks. She was drawing in short, rapid breaths as she tried to calm herself. Her chest hurt. He reached out to touch her and she flinched.

Todoroki sighed. Then, in one swift motion, he leaned down and swept her up into his arms.

Momo's stomach twisted. A strangled sob tore itself from her.

"No! You promised!" She gasped as he cradled her in his arms and turned around. "You promised."

Todoroki ignored her, and Momo's eyes widened as he carried her to the bed. Her chest constricted like it had been snared in a steel net. With every step forward, it clenched tighter.

He had no intention of letting her finish healing Tokoyami, she realized. And with Tokoyami barely hanging onto life and her own injury, she couldn't fight him. She was trapped.

Fear seized her; Momo squeezed her eyes shut as Todoroki laid her down on the bed. She sank into the straw mattress, shaking so hard that the bed frame rattled.

She had thought she had prepared herself for this moment, when Todoroki would extract his payment for allowing her to save Tokoyami, but she wasn't. She was terrified.

Momo tried to grab for that strong resolution that had steeled her nerves when she had first stood in front of Todoroki, but it was gone as if it had dried up like grapes left out in the hot, summer sun.

The tears kept flowing down her cheeks. Momo bit her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood as she fought to keep from hyperventilating. It would all be over soon. She just had to keep her eyes closed and think about something else, anything else, until it was over, and then she could go back and finish tending to Tokoyami.

The bed shifted, and Momo clenched her hands into tight fists on top of her chest. Something warm cupped her face. Momo started; her eyes snapped open and her heart stilled.

"Don't," Todoroki said softly. He was pale and his eyes were flashing as he looked at her. His thumb brushed across her cheek, wiping away the tears with unexpected gentleness. "I promise that I won't let anything happen to you or...him. You're mine now. I'll keep you safe, just let me wrap your wrist. I'm not going to let you continue unless you let me treat you."

Todoroki didn't wait for her to respond. He pulled back and strode across the room to grab the extra bandages she had thrown haphazardly onto a chair and returned to the bed, sitting down next to her. He reached out, drawing her hurt hand towards him and slowly began to wrap her wrist.

Three times around her wrist.

His fingers were rough and calloused.

Then, around the thumb to protect the thumb joint.

But his grip was gentle.

Then, around her wrist again.

Momo dragged in a deep breath as she stared at him, astonished as he continued to wrap her hand. It didn't make sense.

He wasn't supposed to feel.

Shouto Todoroki was supposed to be cruel and unyielding, and yet he had done nothing but treat her kindly, as if she were something precious. Like she mattered to him.

It made her head hurt. And another small sob tore itself from her throat.

Todoroki froze at the sound. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you? Are you hurt anywhere else?" he asked, looking her over critically.

Momo shook her head. "It's...it's nothing."

"Are you feeling sick? I told you that you'd get sick if you work yourself so hard," he said sternly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"It's not that...It's just...nothing. Thank you," she stammered so softly she could barely hear her own words.

Todoroki paused for a moment and looked down as he returned to wrapping her wrist. His indolent mask settling firmly back in place.

Momo's heart slowly stopped pounding as she watched him. There was irony in the fact that the infamous Shouto Todoroki — who had killed so many Trojan citizens — was the one taking care of her. By every right, as a conquering warrior or as a master, he could have taken her, and she wouldn't have been able to refuse.

It left her confused, and she hated it. Momo was logical by nature. Her mind needed answers and Todoroki wasn't providing them. His actions spoke of a protective and caring man. And a part of her was desperate to believe it, but it didn't make sense. The feeling that she was overlooking a key piece of information swirled through her mind, but she was too tired to grasp it.

"Why do you care so much about him?" Todoroki asked, pulling Momo from her thoughts.

She opened her mouth, the truth on the tip of her tongue, before pausing. The day had taken an emotional toll on her, and she needed to be careful not to instinctively trust the gut instinct to divulge her heart to him, not when she was still picking up the pieces of her life. She glanced up at him from under her lashes; staring at him for several seconds, her gaze following the soft plains of his face that were almost too beautiful to be human as she weighed the decision to tell him the truth. Alternate scenarios flitted through Momo's mind, but she was too tired to ponder how he could use the information against her. She was exhausted from crying, and for all her worries, she couldn't think of any benefit to withholding the truth.

Momo sighed and looked down at her hand as Todoroki tied the bandage into place. He already knew how to hurt her if he chose. "Tokoyami is the only one that I have left," she said softly. "Everyone else was taken by one god or another."

Todoroki paused his movements and looked at her; his face was indecipherable as he studied her. He opened his mouth to say something more, but the front door slammed open with a loud bang.

Momo jumped and looked up sharply.

"Yo! Todoroki!" A youth with a high pitched voice slurred drunkenly. She instantly recognized the short boy with grape like hair who served Prince Bakugou. "You've been holed up with those glorious boobs all day! It's a sin against the gods not to share..." He looked at her and his eyes glittered.

A shiver coursed down Momo's spine; Todoroki had no intention of keeping his promise of protecting her and Tokoyami. Suddenly, all the fears and terror that had begun to subside with Todoroki's gentle words rushed back, cold and heavy. Momo jerked her hand out of his and stood up abruptly. She glared down at him with all the ferocious anger that curled in her chest.

How dare he.

He had played her, and she had been so desperate for kindness that she had believed him. Momo shook with rage.

Todoroki's eyes widened, and he stood up slowly, reaching for her. Momo stumbled back, away from his touch, and her back hit the wall. She pressed herself into the wood as Todoroki's face hardened.

The small boy moved closer, his eyes shining. Another soldier moved into the doorway.

It all made sense now. Todoroki had tricked her. He had pretended that he was different, that he was gentle and kind, but it had all been a rouse. He had been waiting for her to drop her guard so that he and his friends could catch her unaware.

The air around them seemed to grow colder, reflecting her growing anger and terror.

Momo's eyes darted around the room, landing on the scissors she had been using earlier when operating on Tokoyami. They still lay on the table. She curled her hands into fists. They were too far to reach. She'd have to rely on her own strength.

Tears began to prick at the side of her eyes again, and her heartbeat quickened. Momo's mind spun with all the possible scenarios.

The men moved closer and the thick stench of ouzo permeated the air. Their footsteps pounding in her ears.

It made her sick. She braced herself for the inevitable as Todoroki shifted closer, blocking her from escaping. She didn't know what to do. If she fought, Tokoyami would die. If she ran, Tokoyami would die. All she could do was let them rape her.

Momo squeezed her eyes shut. Despair curled within her. She felt so cold and her body was so tense she was trembling. She dragged in a rasping sob between her teeth.

Suddenly there was a thundering sound so abrupt that the house shook.

Momo's entire body stilled. She stopped breathing, as her eyes snapped open. The air had frozen; ice covered the floor. The smaller boy had jumped to the side, barely missing the frozen fury, but the second man wasn't fast enough as the ice twisted and encased him. He stood frozen in the doorway, as if he were emerging from a marble statue.

For a moment, there was no sound, just the strong smell of licorice that permeated the house from the alcohol the small boy had dropped. Then, the boy with grape-like hair fell to the floor with a thud as he quaked in fear, and time started again.

Momo glanced shakily at Todoroki. He had stepped in front of her and was facing the two men. She couldn't see his face, but his breathing was slightly ragged. She could see it mist out with his every breath.

"Don't…don't you think that is a little much?" the flat-faced man asked, his body shivering loud enough that Momo could hear his teeth chattering.

Todoroki flexed his right hand; ice that had accumulated on his fingers like white crystals crackled as they fell to the floor. He strode across the room and lifted his opposite hand. Red and orange magic bloomed in his palm, and he laid it against the man's chest. "Sorry," he said, lowering his head so that his red and white bangs fell into his face, covering his eyes. "I was angry."

The ice began to melt like candle wax, dripping onto the floor in large puddles as steam puffed up and filled the room like Chimera's breath.

Momo stared transfixed at Todoroki's back as he silently melted what he had made. She didn't understand what was going on. What had made him attack his own comrades? It had almost seemed like he was trying to protect her.

But that couldn't be right.

Momo's heartbeat quickened.

None of it made sense. He couldn't possibly care about her — his helot, his slave. And yet, all the evidence pointed to that. It was nonsensical, but in the back of her mind, Momo began to wonder if maybe her original assessment of Todoroki was wrong.

* * *

I know, I know! Some of you are probably sooo angry at me right now, but I couldn't see a scenario in which Momo wouldn't start breaking down. It's been over twenty-four hours since she last slept or ate and, with Tokoyami hanging onto life by a thread, Momo's emotions are unstable. Adding in Todoroki and the silent threat she sees him as, and she ends up breaking because how would she know that Todoroki doesn't mean to hurt her? As sad as it is, war is not pretty. Rape is not a possibility, it's a certainty in Momo's mind, so when Todoroki offers kindness instead of pain it throws her off and she wonders if she truly understands who the demigod Shouto Todoroki is.

Anyways, Happy Holidays everyone! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Did Momo's fear resonate? Was the chapter too fast? Too slow? All thoughts welcome!

Notes:  
Helots - Slave  
Styx River - In Greek mythology, Styx is a deity and a river that forms the boundary between Earth and the Underworld  
Chimera - a fire-breathing female monster resembling a lion in the forepart, a goat in the middle, and a dragon behind.


	5. Chapter 5: We Can (Not) Deny

Wow! Can't believe I'm on chapter 5 already. In special thanks and as a late holiday and New Year present here is an extra long chapter! Hope you enjoy!

Special shout out to my betas, C's Melody and Flourchildwrites! Both are amazing writers and I highly encourage you to check out their work.

I also want to give thanks to Fencer29 and the guest who left reviews. I try to always respond to comments so if you have an account I'll definitely message you back!

Also, big thank you to Evieeburn125 who was my partner for this Big Bang. Check out their artwork on my tumblr at TeaPlease1717

Btw, I can't believe no one caught that it was Sero accompanying Mineta! Haha. I practically took his lines straight out of his fight with Todoroki in the second season!

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**Chapter 5: We Can (Not) Deny**

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Shouto's teeth ground in frustration, and he pressed his hands more firmly against the glacier. His magic prickled down his arms, and he felt the ice melt under his palms, letting off a low hiss as the water evaporated into steam. It misted through the room and clung to his skin like morning dew on leaves.

Hanata Sero lay in the doorway, his legs still encased in the glacier. He was pale and shivering violently. Yaoyorozu had wrapped blankets around him, but it wasn't enough to stop his quaking. The likelihood of frostbite was high, amputation a possibility.

On the other side of the doorway, Kirishima and Rikado Sato, the Prince's chef, chipped away at the ice with shovels. Unlike Kirishima's slim and muscular frame, Sato was tall with a broad build, small beady black eyes, and full lips. He wasn't the smartest but had the brute strength needed for the job.

Sero moaned softly in pain and Shouto's chest tightened. Not for the first time that night, he wished he knew how to use his powers to heal instead of just to kill. Shouto dug his nails into the ice.

It wasn't like it was his fault.

It was common sense.

Sero should have known not to come by unannounced, especially not right after conquering the city. Anyone would have attacked first, thinking it was an enemy. And Yaoyorozu's breakdown hadn't helped. When she had cowered, the fear in her eyes had clawed at his heart. It had made him see red, made his belly burn, made his lips curl.

"Todoroki!" Kirishima's voice cut into Shouto's thoughts harshly.

There was a cracking sound, and the remaining ice shattered under his fingertips.

Sero crumpled to the ground, free at last. Kirishima threw down his shovel and rushed over to his side. The room was silent as Kirishima pulled Sero's limp body out of the ice.

"We got you, man. Stay strong," Kirishima said gently.

Shouto's fingers shook slightly as he canceled his fire magic. He stood up from his crouched position on the floor, and pins and needles shot through his legs as he moved closer.

Sero didn't twitch as Kirishima carried him over to a blanket and laid him down.

Mineta skirted wide around Shouto and scurried over to Sero's other side. Leaning over, he lay his head on Sero's chest. His eyes widened in horror, and he jerked back. "His heart's stopped!"

Shouto froze, his stomach twisted viciously.

Kirishima looked across Sero's unconscious body and up at Shouto. His red eyes narrowed. "Todoroki, heat him up!" he ordered, his voice tense.

Shouto started and then nodded. He went over to Sero and crouched down, extending his hand to lie upon Sero's chest.

"No!"

Pausing, Shouto looked up sharply at Yaoyorozu. She took a step forward, away from Tokoyami. Her fingers still had a slight tremor from her earlier fear. She swallowed, and for a moment, she hesitated. Then, a look of determination flashed across her face, and she straightened.

"You mustn't," she continued, clenching her wrapped hand over her heart. "Direct heat will damage the skin and could possibly make his heart stop entirely."

Kirishima's eyes widened and his mouth fell open as he looked at her aghast. "Then what do we do?"

Yaoyorozu bit her bottom lip. "We'll need to do chest compressions," she finally said, moving closer.

Rikado Sato nodded and pushed Mineta out of the way with his wide frame. "I'll do it," he said in a thick Cretan accent. His lips thinned in concentration as he laid his hands on Sero's chest. "What do I need to do?"

Yaoyorozu tucked pieces of her fringe behind her ear. "It's a delicate operation. If you can do the compressions, I'll do the rest." She said, kneeling down by Sero's head.

"Sero, you lucky bastard," Mineta whispered.

Everything within Shouto went cold. His gray eyes traced the outline of Yaoyorozu's figure, eyeing the tear in her chiton with a lingering gaze. He was suddenly intensely aware that Yaoyorozu was still in her torn clothes. His lips twitched as he watched Mineta leer at her exposed skin. The image of bashing the young boy's head into the floor suddenly seemed very appealing. He clenched his jaw at the violent thought. He should have been more forceful and made Yaoyorozu wear his cape, instead of letting her use it as a blanket for Tokoyami.

Shouto forced himself to look away. Sato pressed on Sero's chest, fast and hard. Yaoyorozu shifted to hold Sero's head up, and then, after roughly 100 seconds, she raised a hand to pause Sato. She tilted Sero's head back, plugged his nose, leaned over...

Shouto stopped breathing.

Roaring sounded in his ears as she leaned down. Her mouth still hovered over Sero's as Shouto's hand shot to grasp Endeavor's hilt. His eyes narrowed as a dark burning fury spread out from his chest.

"Half n' Half," a deep voice snapped. Shouto started, and his gaze jerked up as everyone paused. The Prince stepped into the doorway.

"Bakugou!" Kirishima stood up. "It's Sero. He's not…"

Bakugou's eyes narrowed, and then they darted to Sato. "What are you fucking waiting for? Get his heart going again, idiots. Press on his chest and then blow into his mouth while you hold his nose shut." He turned and glared at Shouto. "Half n' Half, bring your woman and bird brain and go find a new place for them," he snapped.

Yaoyorozu stood up abruptly. She wore a determined expression. "We can't leave yet." Bakugou paused and looked at her. "I'm the one best suited to take care of him," she said, her hand pressed against her chest. "I was the temple's top healer-"

"Then you should know that the humidity in the room is a breeding spot for infection," Bakugou said, interrupting her. Expressionlessly, he looked across the room to the temple guardian. "You care about it, right? Then we need to go someplace dry."

Hesitation flashed across Yaoyorozu's features. Then she deflated, and she gave a small nod.

Shouto felt a strange sense of relief at her consent. The room was uncomfortable. Seeing Yaoyorozu tending to Sero had made his chest twist painfully. And the fact that too many people knew where to find them also sat heavily on his mind as he pulled himself up and went over to the half-man, picking him up.

Being careful of the demigod's wounds, Shouto carried him outside.

Night had fully set in, but the air was still warm. Yaoyorozu shivered slightly in her damp clothes, and Shouto's chest tightened. He needed to get her someplace warm and safe before she got sick. He clenched his jaw.

Back towards the city square, he could hear the sound of lutes and singing from the festivities. Shouto turned away from the music. He led Yaoyorozu towards the outer wall of the city. Behind them, Bakugou followed at a distance. Shouto could feel his eyes trained on his back. Again he was struck by how calm the usually hot-headed Prince was.

He frowned as he pushed open a couple of doors to houses that seemed mostly intact, but a restlessness in him found none of them to be acceptable. Everything seemed too cramped or dirty. Too close to the partying soldiers.

He led her further towards the outer walls of the city. Here, there was no one left. Most of the houses were burned or completely destroyed. It was a place that spoke of death, and yet, for whatever reason, Shouto felt more at ease here, surrounded by the singed smell of burnt wood, than he did with his fellow soldiers.

He found one of the only remaining houses and kicked open the door. It was almost identical to the house they had just left except for the smashed pottery on the floor and half-eaten meal still sitting on the table. Shouto led Yaoyrozu inside and placed the demigod on the bed.

A knock sounded against the wood, and Shouto turned to find the Prince. Bakugou stared at him. "Half n' Half, a word," he said.

Shouto tensed. He recognized that it was illogical, but his stomach felt like it shrank at the thought of leaving Yaoyorozu alone. She could take care of herself, he had seen her do so, but something dark twisted within him just thinking about being apart from her.

"Todoroki?" Yaoyorozu asked, her dark eyes looking up at him questioningly.

Shouto turned sharply, took half a step forward, and grabbed her chin. He leaned down until his mouth hovered above her own. Yaoyorozu stilled. He felt her breath puff against his lips.

He wanted to kiss her again.

He longed to taste the wine and honey on her lips. It felt like all the anger and tension coiling within him would disappear if he just closed the distance between their mouths. But now wasn't the time.

"Stay," Shouto ordered. Releasing her, he pulled back and turned on his heel to follow Bakugou.

The Prince led him down the street. Shouto's chest constricted the further they moved from the house. Every step felt heavy like Shouto was trudging through mud. It was an illogical thought, but in the back of his mind, he couldn't shake the feeling that Yaoyorozu was in danger. It pounded through his ears and made his heart race.

Shouto glanced over his shoulder and almost tripped over the Prince as Bakugou stopped suddenly and rounded on him. "You can't even fucking walk straight, can you?"

Shouto took a step back. From the corner of his eye, he could still see the house, and it unexpectedly put him at ease. His gaze flicked back to the Prince. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Bakugou's red eyes narrowed. "Explain what just happened then," he snapped, his lips curling up into a snarl.

Shouto's hand moved to rest upon Endeavor's hilt. "There's nothing to explain," he said, after a moment. "I lost my temper."

"Fuck that!" Shouto's eyes narrowed a fraction. He could see a vein pulsing in Bakugou's neck.

"You've endangered my men before, Half n' Half, but never like this. You fucking almost froze Flat Face's skin off. And I got some fucking Athenian general whining about twenty of his men slaughtered outside of Apollo's temple. They think it's that fucking bird brain and want it back for retribution. But I know your work and those men weren't cut down by no fucking bird demigod."

Shouto's fingers twitched, and his throat tightened. "Sorry for causing you trouble," he said softly.

"Sorry ain't gonna cut it!" Bakugou said, his tone vicious.

Shouto felt like there was a lump in his throat. It was true: he had gone overboard, especially with Sero.

He had just been angry.

People had called him dispassionate before. But intense fury had welled up within him when he had seen Yaoyorozu's fear. It had whitened out his vision, similar to the emotion that had overcome him when the Athenian soldiers had touched her. Except at that time, she had truly been in danger. Shouto's grip on Endeavor's hilt tightened.

Bakugou's eyes narrowed. "You've noticed it too, haven't you?" he said seriously.

Shouto didn't respond. There were pieces of broken vase on the ground; mindlessly he swept the pieces into a pile with his foot. The Prince watched him and sighed.

"It's that woman."

Shouto's gaze darted up and narrowed sharply, his temper finally bubbling to the surface. "It has nothing to do with her. Yaoyorozu is just a slave," he growled.

Bakugou stared at him for a second, his face void of emotion. "So you haven't noticed it."

Shouto's fingers twitched slightly. He was tired and didn't have the mental resources to play mind games with Bakugou at the moment. "What haven't I noticed?" Shouto asked in a cold voice.

"You're practically drooling over her," Bakugou said.

"I'm not a dog."

Bakugou rolled his eyes. "I forget how fucking dense you can be." The Prince looked sharply at Shouto. "You fucking want to sleep with her."

Shouto stood stunned. "What?"

Bakugou's expression grew hard. "You're lusting after her, hard. You treat her as if she's a fucking princess. I'm sure if she cried, you would wipe her tears for her too," he continued coldly.

Shouto's stomach dropped, and he looked away. He swallowed over a suddenly dry throat. "She's mine. Of course I'd take care of her."

He could feel Bakugou's eyes widen. "Fuck. You're whipped already," he said, aghast.

Shouto's hand clenched around Endeavor's hilt until his knuckles turned white.

"What happened?"

Shouto ground his jaw. "Like I said — nothing."

"Fuck that!"

Shouto turned back to stare angrily at Bakugou. He could feel pulsing rage inside of him, and then his shoulders sank. He looked down at the ground.

"Kaminari shot me," he said softly, suddenly feeling drained. He dropped his hand from Endeavor. "I don't think it's anything to worry about. It's just a kissing spell."

Bakugou was silent for a moment. "You dense motherfucker," Bakugou finally bit out. "If it involves the gods, it's never just a simple spell."

Shouto didn't answer. He stood there frozen. Somehow a part of him had assumed if he ignored Kaminari, everything would be normal. He was strong.

Bakugou sighed and pushed back his blonde hair. "I'm sending you home."

Shouto's gaze jerked back to the Prince. He couldn't have been more stunned if the Prince had just slapped him. "What?"

"You heard me. I'm sending your fucking ass back early. That cock sucking Deku can deal with you."

"I'm one of your top fighters," Shouto hissed.

Bakugou cut him off. "And you can't control it."

"I can."

"Can you?"

Shouto looked away. "I'll learn."

Bakugou snorted. "That ain't good enough, Half n' Half. I have hundreds of men to feed and bring back to Sparta safely. I don't have fucking time to deal with you and whatever this is," he said, pointing at Shouto's chest.

Shouto glared at Bakugou and swatted his hand away. "I'm strong. I won't be defeated by some weak god's curse," he retorted, his hands balled into tight fists at his sides.

"Fuck, Half n' Half! It ain't about being strong or weak." Bakugou scowled. "Fact is you are a danger to my men and me. Until you learn what the fuck sets you off or you get off, I want you gone." Bakugou turned, his red cape billowing behind him as he walked away. "The ship leaves in two days, and I want your fucking ass on it. Until then, stay out of the way. I'll send Kirishima or that round face you saved to bring you food."

Shouto didn't move. His knuckles turned white as he shook with barely suppressed rage, watching fitfully as the Prince disappeared.

He didn't understand how it had turned out this way. He was strong. If he was under a spell, he would have known.

"Fuck!" Shouto turned and slammed his fist into a wall. He felt his knuckles split at the impact as the wall gave way under his fist, leaving a hole.

It wasn't enough. He wanted to fight. He wanted to feel his blood pump and be able to forget about all of _this_.

But he couldn't. The war was over, there was no one left to fight. Still, the fury boiled within him like an overflowing pot.

Shouto grit his teeth, his body trembling with rage.

He heard the creaking sound of a door opening down the street and lifted his head slightly to see Yaoyorozu standing in the doorway. She looked at him, her face hesitant. Shouto straightened. He didn't want to worry her.

He paused at the thought. His eyes widened. If he hadn't been paying attention, if he hadn't felt such overwhelming fury, he would have missed the slight shifting of his mood.

Shouto's stomach twisted painfully. Even his emotions weren't his anymore, he realized. It was as Bakugou had said.

It made him sick. The gods had even taken away Shouto's ability to control his own emotions. It made him feel like a puppet. A toy. And he had never had as much anger towards the gods as at that moment.

Shouto clenched his eyes shut and breathed in a trembling breath to steady himself. He was stronger than this. He'd figure out a way to beat Kaminari.

Slowly, Shouto unclenched his hands and walked towards her. He'd win, he'd break Kaminari's curse. He would.

The strong live, and he was strong.

* * *

The following days bled together. Yaoyorozu spent most of her time mixing medicinal pastes or healing Tokoyami, who had periodically began to wake up. Shouto, for his part, would watch, or find himself unconsciously offering assistance, but mostly he tried to ignore the aching sensation in his chest and strategize how to break the annoying spell. What he had found instead, was that Bakugou was wrong. The curse wasn't based on pure lust. It was a possessiveness that boarded on the brink of obsession.

Shouto ground his teeth in frustration as he watched the sea. Bakugou had been true to his word and given them his biggest trireme and a crew to sail them back to Sparta. The ship was larger than the standard 40 meters ship, but otherwise was a typical trireme, with two large masts and two floors, the rowers sitting on the lower level.

The ship rocked against the waves, and water sprayed up to mist Shouto's face as he watched the ocean.

The world had rules.

Even a god's curse had limits, and Shouto had tested those to exhaustion over the last two days. He'd practiced, seeing how close other men could get to Yaoyorozu without his heart speeding up and his sight going red. He'd left her in the house to test how far he could walk before he was overcome with worry and rushed back to her side. In the end, the answer was the same.

Whatever magic Kaminari had struck him with was strong, and he'd have to wait for the effects to wear off, if they ever did.

Unconsciously, Shouto's eyes slid to the side, to the subject of his thoughts. Yaoyorozu sat beside him on the ship's deck, her posture straight, formal as she ground herbs and grasses into a medical paste. She was dressed in a clean, white chiton. Her long black hair had been washed; it curled around her in dark waves.

His fingers twitched. He wanted to touch it. Twist it around his fist and pull her head back to lay kisses along her neck. Shouto frowned at the thought and looked away. It was Kaminari's curse, he reminded himself. Sure, she was pretty, obviously smart, and strong, but he had never felt such an overwhelming desire to touch another human being. Least of all in the way he was imagining.

His hands tightened into fists at his side.

It wasn't fair, but then, when had anything involving the gods ever been fair? Shouto sighed quietly. The fact that his attraction to Yaoyorozu was based on a curse was difficult to reconcile. It didn't feel like something he was doing primarily because of Kaminari's arrow. He tried to think of kissing any other woman. Like the Trojan girl that Bakugou had sent to bring them food, Uraraka Ochako. She was small and cute, but he couldn't imagine feeling the same desire he felt for Yaoyorozu.

Shouto rubbed the bridge of his nose. Now that he was aware of Kaminari's curse, he was constantly looking for signs of the magic influencing his thoughts. It was a difficult task.

_'Act first, question later.'_

It had been his creed during the war, and it had kept him alive through countless battles. But now, trying to separate his thoughts from the fabricated feelings the curse inspired, Shouto wished he had more practice deciphering the mixed feelings swirling through his chest.

His fingers touched the small bag on his right hip. It contained the few belongings he had brought from home. Shouto closed his eyes and quietly exhaled, wishing his sister was there. She was good at these kinds of things. She would know what to do, maybe even a way to break the curse, but she was a long way away. It would be at least another two weeks or longer before he was able to see her again.

Warm wind blew across the ship's deck, mixing his red and white hair. It filled the twin masts, propelling the two-tiered trireme back to Sparta.

Movement in the corner of Shouto's eye caught his attention. He looked back at Yaoyorozu. Her lips thinned as she pulled her hands away from the stone mallet to inspect her palms. She had taken off her wrist bindings in order to work and Shouto's eyes narrowed on the red, angry blisters that lined her palms. He was reminded of her fight three days ago.

The sight made his stomach drop. As much as he hated letting the curse control him, even he understood that it wouldn't go away by ignoring her.

He needed to come to a truce with her. They were stuck together for the time being and him ignoring her wasn't going to fix anything. He turned towards Yaoyorozu.

"Give me your hands," he said, kneeling down and pulling a small ceramic bottle out of his side pouch. Yaoyorozu looked up at him as he sat crossed legged in front of her.

Shouto uncorked the stopper on the bottle and poured a small amount of oily liquid into his palm. It smelled clean, with a faint, spring-like scent of dittany. Shouto held out his hand expectantly.

Yaoyorozu paused. She hid it well, but Shouto could still see the internal conflict. Small flashes of unease swirled in her black eyes as she glanced over towards him. She was cautious, and he hadn't given her any reason not to be. After a moment, she extended her hand.

Shouto took it and began to rub the thick liquid into her skin. It felt like chilled olive oil as he gently kneaded the medicine in small circles into Yaoyorozu's palm.

She tilted her head. "What is it? It feels...icy," Yaoyorozu said thoughtfully.

Shouto didn't look up as he switched hands, drawing her other palm closer and repeating the action. "It's something my sister made. It won't heal big wounds but helps with minor injuries like these."

Yaoyorozu fell silent for a moment. "You don't have to use it on me if it's from your sister," she said softly.

He gave a small shrug. "It's fine," Shouto said dismissively. "I've never needed it."

He could still feel her eyes on him and looked up. "What?"

Yaoyorozu was silent and appraising as she studied him. Then sighed quietly and looked away. "I don't understand you," she said. "You hardly say two words to me for the last two days and then you do this. Your mood seems to shift as quickly as Proteus changes forms. I don't understand."

Shouto's chest tightened. There were things he and Yaoyorozu needed to discuss, such as the curse. His lips thinned at the thought. He wasn't ready to talk about it, especially not to her. She was smart. If she hadn't already figured it out, he wasn't going to provide the information. There were too many ways that Yaoyorozu could use it against him.

Shouto's lips twitched. "There's nothing to understand," he said sternly. Then changed the subject abruptly. "How's he doing?" Shouto asked, looking over at the demigod sleeping on the deck next to them.

Yaoyorozu bit her bottom lip and dropped her gaze to the temple guardian. "Well enough, I suppose. His wounds are healing faster than a normal mortal's because of his god blood."

She pulled back the blanket gently with her free hand.

"Look. In some areas, the skin is already starting to repair," she said in a thick voice, pointing at the horizontal cut that had been stitched closed with flax. The skin was puffy and red but did appear to be healing. "I…I just don't have the same tools I used at the temple, so I'm still a little worried that he may contract an infection," she said, pulling the blanket back into place. Her voice had a tremble to it.

"We'll be back in Sparta soon enough. You can get what you need there," Shouto said and then looked away as Yaoyorozu went quiet. His throat felt tight, like he had swallowed a small stone. Once again, he was at a loss of how to comfort her. He wasn't used to dealing with other people, least of all women, and wasn't sure what to say to put her at ease. He was torn between leaving her alone again, but another part argued for him to stay. That part of him couldn't imagine ever leaving her.

Shouto's gaze moved back to the demigod sleeping on the deck, and he cleared his throat. "The stitching looked good, though. Where did you learn to do that?"

She blinked and sat up straighter. "As a priestess to Apollo, it is my duty to be versed in many things, including healing," she said.

Shouto tilted his head slightly. "Is that where you learned to fight?" he asked curiously as he released the palm he had been treating.

Yaoyorozu deflated. She looked away, and he could see the tops of her cheeks redden. "No. Tokoyami taught me that."

Yaoyorozu hesitated. She dropped her gaze to her lap; her long fingers ran over the calluses and blisters lining her palms. "The head priestess would never allow me to learn something like that. Tokoyami had to teach me in secret. I never got to practice that much, but he said I was a fast learner." There was a trace of embarrassment as well as pride in her tone. She smiled half-heartedly and turned to the demigod. Leaning forward, she ran her fingers through the feathers on top of the demigods head tenderly. Shouto's stomach clenched.

"I just wish I could have done more to put his teachings to good use," she continued, the last words a whisper under her breath. If not for the curse that made Shouto hyper-aware of her, he'd probably have missed it.

Shouto corked the bottle and shifted as he returned it to his side pouch. "You did all that you could."

She met his eyes. Shouto wanted to lean in, brush her bangs out of her face, and place a kiss upon her brow. It was a strange feeling of tenderness, and he pushed it away. It was Kaminari's arrow, he reminded himself. Besides, their peace was still too fragile.

He cleared his throat. "You're inexperienced, and it shows."

She frowned. "I know I'm weak."

"No. Not weak. Inexperienced. There's a difference. Weak would mean you are a coward. You were willing to fight off a group of Athenian men twice your size. I'd hardly call that cowardly. What you lack is experience and a bit of spatial awareness."

Yaoyorozu's gaze dropped to the floor. A small smile pulled at her lips. "Thank you."

Shouto gave a low sigh. "You thank me too much," he said, his voice was a little gruffer. "I'm just stating the truth based on what I've observed."

They lapsed back into silence after that. He helped her bind her wrist again and shortly after that Tokoyami woke up. Shouto's eyes narrowed. His chest tightened as he watched Yaoyorozu let Tokoyami lean against herself. She picked up a water flask and uncorked the top to hold it to the demigod's mouth gently.

What was Tokiyami to her?

More than a pet, of that he was becoming sure. She had said he was all that she had left...

The thought lingered in the back of his mind, and he felt his jaw tighten as he watched them. A pulling sensation in his gut left him agitated, and he watched sweat slip down Yaoyorozu's neck and disappear under the top of her chiton.

Shouto felt hot. His fingers twitched on Endeavor's hilt, and he forced himself to look away.

The sailors on the deck were all sweating. Shouto could practically see steam rising from their bare chests. The heat coiling in his veins didn't seem to be just affecting him.

His eyes narrowed. It was a nice day. There was no reason that he should be this hot.

Shouto frowned. The hair on his neck stood on end, and he jumped to his feet.

"Todoroki?" Yaoyorozu asked, standing up after him.

Shouto didn't respond. Something wasn't right. He looked around the ship. It was too hot. Almost like-

"Ah, so this is the woman who stole your heart?" a deep voice sneered. The sound cut through the air like steel.

Shouto grabbed Yaoyorozu and shoved her protectively behind himself; his gaze darted up to the sky. Hanging in the air above the ship was a man clad in black armor. He would have been considered handsome, with short black hair and fine features, if not for the deep burn scars that snaked down his neck and arms, and purpled like newly-formed bruises under his piercing blue eyes.

"Hello there, little brother. It's been a while." Dabi yawned and stretched dramatically.

Shouto felt a chill even as immense heat beat down on the boat from the demigod. Dabi was his older half-brother through their father, Ares. He was known to mortals as Deimos, the god of terror. In Shouto's experience, he was cruel and unfeeling, despite the laid-back attitude he exuded.

Shouto slid his fingers firmly over Endeavor's hilt. "What do you want, Dabi?" he demanded.

Dabi's lips quirked up at the side into a patronizing smile. "Is that any way to treat your dear, older brother?" he asked casually. "I'm just worried about my lil' brother. Father's favorite child."

Shouto's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?" he repeated. He wasn't prepared to fight Dabi on the open sea, especially not when he needed to protect Yaoyorozu.

Behind him, the wooden planks groaned as the temple guardian stood up. He was suddenly thankful for Tokoyami's presence. If anything, the temple guardian would act as an extra layer of protection for Yaoyorozu.

Dabi looked at Shouto, and his eyes glittered. "Poor, little brother. Daddy dearest sent me to reprimand you for letting your guard down. And - these are his words - remind you that women are nothing but a distraction for a warrior." Dabi's face hardened, and he held out his right hand. Instantly, crackling blue flames appeared, expanding and twisting into something hideous.

Shouto's eyes widened, and coldness settled in the pit of his stomach as the fire pulled back and condensed into a tight ball of immense heat. Dabi smiled cruelly. "He never specified the _how_. But I don't think he'd mind if I got a little creative."

Shouto didn't have time to think. He pivoted and shoved Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami with all his strength. His chest tightened as he watched them hit the water.

Then there was a roaring sound and a blistering, blue pain seared through his mind before everything turned black.

* * *

And that's a wrap for 2019! Hope you enjoyed this extra long chapter.

All thoughts and feelings are welcome, good and bad - I love it all! That's the only way I'm going to get better. But, seriously, your comments and love give me life. I can't tell you how appreciative I am for each and every one of you for supporting me. So thank you!

Notes:

Shouto isn't stupid, he had an inkling that something was wrong when he had first accepted Yaoyorozu's proposal back in chapter 2, but had been hoping that whatever Kaminari had hit him with had been a miscast spell or too weak to impact him. However, he is slowly learning that nothing is that simple, as Bakugou points out. This frightens Shouto, not only because he feels that the gods are making him into a puppet, but because his whole identity thus far has been based on being strong. And the fact that he was not only struck by Kaminari, but forced to fall in love with Yaoyorozu is something he had never considered happening to him. Because, as Dabi said, only the weak fall in love. This leads Shouto to ignore Yaoyorozu, falling back on what we are now starting to see as his habit when he can't or won't deal with a situation. However, as much as Shouto wants to walk away from Yaoyorozu, the curse won't let him. And he finds himself unable to leave her alone.

Other notes:

Proteus - a sea god, famous for his ability to flicker from one form to another when enemies pursued him.


	6. Chapter 6: We Can (Not) Survive

Happy New Year everyone!

Thank you FlourChildWrites and C's Melody for the beta!

**_Also, thank you to my reviewers!_**

**_Isabel_ **\- I'm so glad that you are enjoying this and thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I'll definitely try adding more details to describe the environment going forward.

**_Fencer29_** \- Thank you for all your support! I can't express how much it means to me that you take the time to comment on every chapter!

**_Nap-Tyme_ **\- Thank you for the lovely words!

Now here we go! The action starts back up again. Disclaimer: Boku no Hero and its characters do not belong to me.

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 6: We Can (Not) Survive**

**XXXXX**

Momo gasped as Shouto's hand shoved into her stomach and she flipped over the railing and fell into the sea.

Water obscured her vision and rushed to fill her mouth. She quickly pressed her lips together as she tried not to breathe. It felt like there was a heavy weight on her chest, pushing her down.

Terror filled her, like claws sinking into her breast. Tearing her open. She needed to breathe. She needed to get to the surface.

Then there was a distant booming sound. The water warmed, and a force slammed into her, flipping her over suddenly. She fought to keep her mouth closed as the world spun violently.

She wanted to scream, wanted to call for Tokoyami, but couldn't. The spinning made her sick with fear.

Then the currents eased. Momo cracked her eyes open. Black snow and pieces of wood rained down in slow motion.

There was no time to contemplate it. Her heart was pounding so violently, she thought her chest would burst.

Where was Tokoyami? He had been pushed underwater too. She was sure of it. The notion made her cold. He couldn't swim. Tokoyami would drown if she didn't find him. What if he was already dead? What if his wound had reopened and he was bleeding out?

Stifling her fear and the acute ache in her chest, Momo turned. She spotted the dark outline of Tokoyami's raven-like head a short distance away.

He was kicking wildly. His eyes rounded in panic. Black feathers fanned out and bent at the ocean's unseen force as he thrashed and flailed to get to the surface.

Terror sunk into Momo's chest. She pushed herself over, reached out, and dug her fingers into Tokoyami's clothes, pulling him into her chest.

His elbow slammed into her stomach. Momo grit her teeth to keep from inhaling. She squeezed Tokoyami tighter and pulled him towards the surface.

He felt like a giant weight and Momo was thankful that he was on the shorter side as she pushed them up.

Then they broke the surface. Momo gasped. The pain in her chest lessened slightly as she dragged in ragged breaths. The sharp smell of burning flesh assaulted her.

She jerked her head up. Her eyes widened in horror. The trireme was on fire. Bright, blue flames licked off of the wood and twined up the masts like bursting sapphires.

Sailors and soldiers were screaming at the top of their lungs in pain and fear, their bodies engulfed in flames. They threw themselves into the ocean desperately, without thought; anything to get away from the burning inferno that was consuming the ship.

Their bodies hit the water with loud thuds, but the ocean didn't extinguish the flames. Instead the fire danced atop the waves like candles at a funeral. And so the men screamed and screamed as the putrid smell of burning flesh filled the air and their bodies began to dissolve into black ash.

Momo's throat contracted, her stomach felt like it was twisting and she thought she might be sick.

Where was Todoroki? Was he already dead? Had he really sacrificed himself to save them?

A sharp sound from the trireme rang out above the screams. Momo wrenched her eyes up. Todoroki was fighting Dabi, his body moving with a ruthless beauty as he dodged Dabi's attacks aboard the sinking ship.

Momo's heart stuttered. The sense of relief she felt at seeing him-

She didn't want to think about it. She swallowed over a lump in her throat and tore her eyes away from the brothers to look down at Tokoyami in her arms. He moaned as he coughed up water. Blood was leaking out of his wound, clouding the water a dark copper. Momo's chest tightened. It was as she had feared — his wound had reopened, and he was going to bleed to death. He needed to get out of the water.

She glanced quickly back up at Todoroki as he ducked his brother's flames, before steeling herself. She drew in a shaky breath and looked at Tokoyami.

"Can you move?"

He coughed, and yellow, bird-like eyes opened. "Yaoyorozu?" His voice was weak.

"Can you swim?" she asked again, eyeing him worriedly.

Tokoyami winced in pain. Momo bit her lip and looked around desperately at the wooden planks floating on the waves. A short way off, there was a piece big enough for two people to lie on. She looked back at the demigod. "I'm going to need your help," she said, treading water to keep them afloat. "There's a big enough plank that you can lie on. I need you to get on your back so I can pull you over."

Tokoyami gave a short nod. Carefully, she helped him onto his back and pulled him over to the wood. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest as she pushed him on the slab. She grabbed the edge of the wood to pull herself up but paused at a screeching sound from the trireme.

Momo jerked her attention back to the ship as ice shot like an arrow at Dabi. The god pulled back, but not quick enough as Todoroki closed in. Endeavor gleamed in the sunlight as bright as lightning.

Dabi didn't have time to counter; Todoroki slashed the sword across Dabi's stomach, the metal of his armor tearing apart with a bone chilling shriek. The god screamed; then his hand shot out. Todoroki jerked back, but not fast enough as the god grabbed the left side of Todoroki's face and flames exploded in blinding blues and whites.

Todoroki roared and slammed Endeavor's hilt up into Dabi's face but the god was gone, vanished as if he hadn't ever been there.

Momo's heart pounded loudly in her chest. Was that it? Was it over? Had Todoroki won?

She nearly sobbed in relief when Dabi didn't reappear, but she didn't get the chance. The Spartan stumbled and Momo's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat as she watched Todoroki fall into the sea.

Her stomach twisted viciously. This was the perfect chance for them to escape, part of her whispered. She could be free. She and Tokoyami could start a new life away from the war. But, if Todoroki had really risked his life to save them…

"Yaoyorozu, I know what you're thinking. Don't do it."

Momo's gaze darted up. Tokoyami pushed himself up slowly, and his yellow eyes seemed to narrow on her.

"He's the enemy."

Momo's lips thinned. She could feel the wood biting into her hands as she gripped the plank tightly.

"Maybe so," she said slowly, looking away at the debris shifting on the waves, trying to see the red and white hair of her captor. "But he protected us. There was no reason for him to. He could have saved himself, but he didn't."

"It's just a coincidence," Tokoyami said sternly, shifting to press his hand against his wound. "Don't think too deeply about it. He's the enemy. His path is paved in darkness."

That was true.

The world would be a better place if Shouto Todoroki was dead. He had killed hundreds of Trojans. And just because he hadn't raped her didn't mean that he was any less cruel. She had seen him cut through the Athenian soldiers without remorse and almost freeze his own comrade to death without hesitation.

He was too destructive.

Too unpredictable.

But, the thought of his calloused hands wiping away her tears bothered her. Could she really let him die? There must be some sort of kindness and caring in him as well.

Momo swallowed over a lump in her throat.

"Maybe so, but I can't just ignore him if he is alive." She looked into Tokiyami's yellow eyes. "What kind of priestess of Apollo would I be? What kind of person, if I didn't save someone I knew I could?"

Tokiyami stared at her. She dropped her gaze to the wood in between her hands. "I'm just going to look. If I don't see him, or if he's dead, I'll be right back. I promise," she said softly.

Tokoyami sighed and gave a begrudging nod.

That was all the confirmation she needed. Momo let go of the wood, took a deep breath, and then dived.

Under the waves, the ordinarily crystal blue water had become clouded by debris. She squinted to try and see the red and white hair of Shouto Todoroki.

She spotted him a little ways off. The water shimmered around his frame. The left shoulder of his chiton had burned away, leaving only the golden bangles circling his upper arm.

She moved closer and hooked her arms around his back. Heat scorched through her arms, and Momo almost gasped.

He was hot, as if his body housed Prometheus' own flame. It was too hot for any normal human. His demigod blood must have protected him.

Momo grit her teeth. Her fingers stung as she touched his skin, but she forced the pain away as she grabbed hold of him again and kicked up towards the surface.

They broke the water's surface, and Momo gasped for breath. She pulled Todoroki over to the plank, and together with Tokoyami struggled to lift the Spartan up.

"Careful."

Tokoyami hissed as he pushed the Spartan onto his back.

Momo looked at her hands. They were red, but it was nothing serious. She dunked them into the water to cool her palms, and then pulled herself across from him. The wood dipped precariously into the water from the added weight but held as she sat herself on the edge. She turned and looked Todoroki over, feeling her initial panic fade away as she watched his chest rise and fall rhythmically. He wasn't dead or dying. Relief washed over her.

She tried not to think about it as her eyes skimmed quickly over his chest and stomach. There were no cuts or bruises that she could see.

"Yaoyorozu," Tokoyami said sternly.

Momo looked up, but Tokoyami wasn't looking at her. "What is it?"

"His eye."

Momo's gaze dropped down to Todoroki's face, and she inhaled sharply.

His left eye, where Dabi had grabbed him, was completely swollen, burned shut. The skin around it charred black and bloody.

The magic that had caused the injury shimmered around the wound. Momo swallowed over a dry throat. She felt her lips tremble as she watched the mist of magic rise in wisps.

There was nothing she could do.

Even if they were back in Troy, all she'd be able to do was alleviate the pain and ensure it didn't become infected. No tool or medicine within her knowledge could heal burned flesh. Momo bit her bottom lip.

"There's nothing we can do," she finally said in a wooden voice.

She looked away and out over the ocean. The blue fire that had originally danced on the waves was extinguished. Her eyes scanned the horizon; there was a vague outline of mountains in the distance but no signs of any other life. There was no way of telling when the next ship would pass. Momo curled her hands into fists as she came to her decision.

"We can't stay here," she said as she slid off the plank and back into the water.

Tokoyami looked at her sharply. "Yaoyorozu?" He called out roughly as she swam away from the makeshift raft to the debris still floating in the waves.

There wasn't much left. Most of the boat's contents had sunk to the bottom of the ocean. She found a scorched rope and wrapped it around her arm, returning to Tokoyami.

"We can't drift out here at sea. If Dabi doesn't come back then we'll die within 3 days without fresh water. The only thing we can do is get to shore. I'll have to pull us."

"No!" Tokoyami replied harshly, his eyes widening in horror.

Momo stared at Tokoyami.

"What choice do we have?" she asked evenly. "You're too hurt to swim, and Todoroki is unconscious. I'm the only one who is well enough," she said, examining the wood for a hole or hook to wrap the rope around.

There was a small hole in the far left side of the plank where the wood had been nailed to another piece of the ship. Momo forcibly pushed the rope through the hole.

Tokoyami was silent for a moment as he watched her.

"I'll use my dark shadow to help," he said.

Momo paused and glared at him.

"No. You're in no condition," she said sternly as she pulled at the end of the rope and tied it into a sailor's knot. "Besides, your shadows aren't strong enough during the day."

"I can't let you pull both of us."

"You're going to have to. I won't let you waste your life."

"And I can't let you waste yours," Tokoyami snapped, grimacing.

Momo stilled. Her wrist stung, and her whole body ached. But the thought of losing Tokoyami...

It left her feeling empty, like a giant hole had opened inside her chest. She had almost lost him once and couldn't handle that terror again. Her choice had already been made.

"I won't," she said softly, looking up at him. Tokoyami's eyes were bright with pain, and it hardened her resolve. "This is all I can think of, so that we all survive."

Tokoyami opened his beak, but Momo continued. "We can't stay here. I promise I'll stop when I get too tired."

Tokoaymi's eyes narrowed.

"You promise?" he asked in a hard voice.

Momo gave him a wan smile.

"I promise," she said, turning back around. She tied the rope securely around her waist and pulled.

* * *

As the sun rose in the sky, her fingertips began to shrivel and she stopped being able to feel the ache in her wrist as her whole body turned numb. It felt like she was made of lead, as she pulled them forward to an unknown destination.

She didn't know how much time had passed when Tokoyami spoke next.

"Yaoyorozu."

Momo's mind lifted from her daze. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. The demigod was sitting up and watching something in the distance.

"Look."

Treading water, Momo stretched her neck. Behind them, the ocean rippled as something ducked under the waves.

Momo's heart abruptly stalled. It was as though the world had suddenly stilled. There was no noise. No air. Nothing. Just a pressure that slowly grew in intensity until she felt like she was being crushed. She stared intently at the sea, but there was no more movement.

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

A sea monster.

One of Dabi's or...

She didn't want to think about it. She could barely breathe. How long had it been following them? Could it just be curious? It seemed unlikely, but then again, it hadn't approached. Momo swallowed over a dry throat. All she could do was pray to Poseidon that the monster would leave them alone.

"Let me know if it gets closer," she whispered, low and slow.

Tokoyami gave a small nod as he continued to watch the waves.

Hesitantly, Momo turned back around and began to pull the wood plank again. She didn't know how long she pulled the raft for and kept lifting her head to see if she could hear any sounds. However, there was nothing but the steady thrum of her heart and the crashing of the sea. She tried to increase her pace, but it felt like she wasn't moving at all.

Her eyes widened suddenly.

It wasn't her imagination.

They weren't moving. Or, at least, not in the direction she wanted to go. Her throat constricted tightly as the currents suddenly grew stronger, and she felt herself lurching back.

"Yaoyorozu!" Tokoyami cried as the water sped up.

Momo swam, but the ocean currents were strong. The raft sped backward. The waves began to claw at her, dunking her under. Momo fought to keep her head above the waterline.

Slowly, the ocean began to churn. Then there was a loud roaring sound, and in the middle of the whirling ocean, a giant monster emerged.

No. Not a monster. Just a mouth.

The creature had no eyes. Just a gaping hole surrounded by rows of jagged fangs that sucked in the sea with an insatiable thirst. The water sped up and tumbled into the dark mouth, pulling the trio along with it.

Momo's stomach dropped in terror.

It was Moonfish. One of the ocean's monstrous Charybdis.

Terror gripped her. She felt her heart stutter as the jaws sucked in water.

They needed to get out.

Momo tried to look around, but there was nothing to grab on to. They were whirling faster. She felt sick. Water kept filling her mouth and rushing up her nose.

Coughing and gagging, Momo struggled to stay afloat. She felt Tokoyami's dark shadows try to grab her, but the sun was still too high in the sky. He was still too weak to pull her out.

She needed to think of something. Anything. Movement caught the corner of her eye as she struggled.

"I'll do it! Let me help, Kero!"

Momo gasped as a young woman with long dark hair and large black eyes appeared.

She was a nereide. One of the goddesses of the sea and protector of sailors. She must have been attracted to the destruction of the trireme and been the one following them, Momo realized with surety.

The nereide moved closer. "Get up quickly. You don't have much time, Kero," she cried, grabbing the rope tied to the raft.

Momo didn't have time to deliberate. She quickly unwrapped the cord from her waist and handed the rope to the woman. Tokoyami shifted to balance the raft as she used the rope to pull herself closer.

"Yaoyorozu, quickly!"

Her throat and chest tightened. Momo clambered onto the wood and the plank dipped with her added weight. Her heart was racing in her chest, a terrible rapid thrum.

As she pulled herself up, something rough twinned around her leg. Momo's eyes widened in terror. She reached out to grab onto the first thing within reach. Her fingers skimmed over Todoroki's sword, and she grabbed the hilt. The appendage around her leg tightened and yanked. Momo screamed.

"Yaoyorozu!" Tokoyami lunged forward, his hand outstretched. The creature yanked at her again, and Todoroki's sword slipped from its scabbard. Momo fell back into the sea.

She didn't have the chance to take a breath this time. Water immediately filled her mouth and stung her nose as she plummeted down towards the creature's gaping jaws, the monster's tongue wrapped firmly around her leg.

She couldn't hear, could barely see. Momo tried to kick the appendage off, but it wouldn't budge. Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest and she held onto Todoroki's sword like a lifeline that was slowly growing thinner as the tongue dragged her closer.

This is not how I die.

This is _not_ how I die.

She could almost see the razor-sharp teeth.

Then a thought stuck her. Momo's fingers tightened around the sword determinedly and she angled it down. She only had one shot. She needed to get it right. She _had_ to get it right. If she hesitated, she might die or cut her own leg off. Steeling herself, she slammed the sword down into the pink flesh.

The water hindered her movement, but the weapon met its target. The creature screamed — a horrible squealing sound that vibrated through the water.

The tongue latched around her leg released her suddenly as the creature recoiled in pain. It closed its gaping mouth and retreated back into the abyss.

Slowly, the spinning stopped, and the currents lessened. Momo tried to kick up towards the surface, but her body felt heavy. She was suddenly so very, very tired. And then, she couldn't hold her breath anymore; she choked. Todoroki's sword dropped from her fingers as burning pain laced through her chest. It was as if her lungs were melting. Her head throbbed painfully like someone had cracked a vase over her head. Momo wanted to scream, but she couldn't breathe; she was choking, dying.

Not yet.

This couldn't be how she died. Just a little further, the words repeated through her mind as she forced her body to move. Blackness crept across her vision, and she fought to stay conscious. She needed air. Her arms were becoming too heavy to lift. And it felt like her life was slowly draining out of her. She realized she was terribly, terribly cold.

A shadow appeared above her, but her vision was fading and she could only make out a faint outline. The shadow moved closer. Suddenly, Momo felt strong arms wrap around her, dragging her to the surface.

She was vaguely aware as her body was pulled from the water and onto a hard surface. She shivered and tried hard to focus on her rescuer, but her eyes couldn't adjust. She felt the person holding her shift, and air puffed against her neck as their face nuzzled into her wet hair.

"You've done enough. I've got you. I'll take care of you," a deep, soothing voice whispered into her ear as the world finally tilted and darkness claimed her.

* * *

Hope you all liked this more action packed chapter! I literally decided to re-write some of it yesterday, so hopefully it's not too sloppy.

On a different note, after some thought, I have decided to take a break from posting until I have more chapters ready. I had originally thought that I would have 9-10 chapters done by now, but last quarter work killed me and I didn't get as far as I had wanted. I've also been dealing with some mental health issues and really need to take my time and work at my own pace. Thank you everyone for understanding. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story when I begin posting again maybe in a month or two.

Notes:

Nereide - The Nereids were sea nymphs in Greek mythology. They helped sailors on their voyages when they faced fierce storms. Unlike what we consider mermaids, they didn't have fins.

Charybdis - is actually Poseidon's daughter, but for this story I'm making her a type of monster to suit my purposes. The Greek Charybdis takes the form of a huge bladder of a creature whose face was all mouth and whose arms and legs were flippers and swallows huge amounts of water before belching them back out again, creating whirlpools. In some variations of the tale, Charybdis is just a large whirlpool rather than a sea monster.

Prometheus - is a Titan, culture hero, and trickster figure who is credited with the creation of humanity from clay, and who defies the gods by stealing fire and giving it to humanity as civilization.


	7. Chapter 7: We Can (Not) Move

**Hi all! I know it's been a while, and a lot has changed since my last update in January. I hope you all are doing okay during these crazy times. For those of you still following this story, a big thank you! This arc is about done and I'll be posting tri-weekly to ensure I have enough time so I don't have to do another break. **

**Thank you to my wonderful betas: Flourchildwrites and C'sMelody. Also big thank you to 666-HyuugaNeji-999 for doing a preview read to make sure everything flowed.**

**Before, getting into the next chapter, here is a quick recap of the story so far: **

At the end of the Trojan war, Shouto Todoroki is hit by a magicked arrow from Kaminari, one of Aphrodite's erotes of lust. Forced to fall in love with the first person he sees, Shouto can't help but fight for a woman with long, black hair and obsidian the woman makes a deal to sell herself to him in return for saving Apollo's temple guardian, Shouto is unable to resist and so takes the priestess, Momo Yaoyorozu, as his slave.

However, the arrow that had pierced his heart is a lot stronger than Shouto could have ever imagined and he finds himself possessive of her to the point of violence. After encasing one of his comrades in ice, Bakugo, the Spartan Prince, has had enough and sends Shouto back to Sparta early.

The voyage home is no less treacherous, as they soon find out when Dabi, the god of terror and Shouto's older half-sibling, attacks the ship. Shouto defeats his brother, chasing the god off, but not without a price. In the battle, Dabi had burned Shouto over his left eye, knocking the Spartan out.

Momo, as the only one left still healthy enough to move, saves Shouto from drowning. Fearing that Dabi will return to finish them off, Momo decides they can't stay floating in the sea. Summoning all her will power, she pulls both Shouto and Tokoyami towards land when they are attacked by the fearsome whirlpool monster, Moonfish. In a last ditch effort to defeat the monster, Momo uses Shouto's sword, Endeavor, and slams the blade into Moonfish's flesh - but, out of breath and strength, Momo finds herself losing conscience when she feels arms wrap around her and pull her to safety.

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 7: We Can (Not) Move**

**XXXXX**

"Get her on her side!" Tokoyami shouted.

Shouto clenched his teeth and rolled off of Yaoyorozu. Everything within him hurt, and he was acutely aware that his vision had become one-sided. Even with his eyelid squeezed tightly shut, the pain on his left side was overwhelming. It made him feel sick. He pushed Yaoyorozu onto her side, trying to ignore the burning in his head that was steadily growing as though his eye was melting out of its socket.

Tokoyami scrambled across the wood plank. "Yaoyorozu, stay with us!"

His voice trembled as he clasped her shaking hands between his. Blood on his palms dyed her fingers a watery copper.

Yaoyorozu twitched and then heaved, her body rejecting the water in her lungs.

"She's not waking up!" Tokoyami said, looking up sharply.

Shouto felt something within him twist viciously. It must be an effect from using Endeavor as a mortal.

"We need to get her to a doctor." Shouto leaned back over her. From the corner of his eye, he could see Tokoyami stiffen. Shouto ignored him as he shakingly pushed tendrils of inky black hair out of her face. She was deathly pale, and her skin felt cold to the touch.

Shouto swallowed over a tight throat. His hands were trembling uncontrollably. He laid his left palm as gently as he could between Yaoyorozu's shoulder blades, but the usual sensation of magic rippling through him was gone. It felt like his insides had been flayed.

"Fuck," he said, pulling his hand away.

A splashing to his left drew his attention. Shouto slowly turned his head to keep from blacking out. In the water was a beautiful young woman with long, thick black hair and large dark eyes that seemed to take up her entire face. A nereid. Shouto stared at the woman as she approached the raft.

"Aizawa," the nereid said, grabbing onto the side of the wood and pushing Endeavor onto the plank. "Aizawa can help."

Shouto gave a short nod, instinctually pulling the blade back to his side. "Where? Take us to him."

"On the island of Aretias. It's close. I'll - "

"No! We can't!"

Shouto tilted his head back to stare at Tokoyami. The demigod's bird-slit eyes were wide and terrified. He looked as sick as Shouto felt. "That's the isle of stymphalians. It's a place of immense darkness. We can't go there. Not like this. The stymphalians will tear us apart with their bronze beaks."

Shouto's jaw tightened. "Then we'll break those beaks."

He didn't have the mental resources left for a debate. The searing pain in his head was overwhelming. If it wasn't for the curse making him so worried for Yaoyorozu he was sure that he would have passed out already. "I'll freeze them, or burn them, or cut them to shreds. It doesn't really matter," Shouto said coldly.

Tokoyami's eyes hardened and he straightened.

"We cannot walk in there thinking we will come out unscathed," he said slowly. His blood stained hand, not applying pressure to his wound, curled into a fist on his knee. "Hercules killed most of them, but the remaining flock migrated to Aretias. They are vicious and cruel. Not an easy foe to defeat even on one's best day. And, as you can't see out of your left eye and I can't pretend I am in better shape, we will be at a disadvantage. The stymphalians are led by eight creatures known as the Teppodama Hassaishu, and they are said to be cruel and ruthless with powers of their own. We must choose our path wisely."

Shouto stared at him, cold fury rolling through him

"I didn't realize you were such a coward," he hissed.

Tokoyami stiffened, and his eyes widened as though he had been punched in the gut. Shouto paused as guilt immediately struck him. He swallowed over a thick lump in his throat. As much as Shouto didn't care for the demigod, it was unfair of him to accuse Tokoyami of being a coward, especially when he was only speaking the truth. Shouto's chest tightened. He opened his mouth to say something - he didn't know what - but the nereid cut him off.

"Aretias is the closest island, and Aizawa is a skilled doctor. He can definitely help. And the stymphalians only come out after dusk. We should be fine, but we need to move quickly. Kero."

Tokoyami didn't say anything.

Shouto shifted and pulled Yaoyorozu closer to keep her warm as the plank teetered. He hadn't realized she was so skinny. He could feel the bones of her spine curve under her wet chiton. The war hadn't spared the temple priestess. Tokoyami was probably in no better shape. The only reason the raft hadn't capsized already was that, combined, Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu probably weighed as much as Shouto.

His lips thinned. Once they got out of this, he'd make sure she never went hungry again. For now, they needed to get to the nearest doctor. Shouto looked up and met the nereid's gaze.

"We don't have time to discuss. Take us there."

She nodded. Her gaze hovered over the left side of his face a fraction of a second too long before she turned and grabbed the rope attached to the raft.

A cold shiver ran up Shouto's spine, but he pushed the sense of unease to the back of his mind.

There was no turning back now.

* * *

It was midday by the time Tsuyu Asui, as the nereid was known, pulled the raft into a sandbank.

"We have to go the rest of the way on foot, kero," she said, setting off towards the shore.

Shouto lifted his head. The sun was high in the sky now. Carefully, he slid off the raft, then turned and picked up Yaoyorozu. She shivered slightly, and he pulled her into his chest to share his body heat.

"Todoroki."

Shouto paused and turned back around.

Tokoyami was staring at him with a pained expression, his right hand clenched tightly against his stomach where the sutures had ruptured.

"Do you think we can trust her?" he asked with a short nod towards the nereid who had walked out of earshot.

Slowly, Shouto raised his head to look up. Above them, cliffs rose up towards the sky, towering ramparts of stone dusted with the faint greens and browns of shrubbery. It looked uninhabitable, but Shouto could already feel the cold, oppressive eyes of the island's inhabitants. Yaoyorozu shivered as a breeze rolled off the water. Anger and something else curled in his chest.

They had to stay. There was nowhere else to go. Yaoyorozu needed help.

"What choice do we have?" he finally said. "Besides, the nereid saved us already. If she wanted us dead, she would have let Moonfish have us."

He tightened his hold on Yaoyorozu and followed after Asui onto the gravelly shore.

"This way. Aizawa lives up top. Kero," Asui said, leading them to a sandy path that looped up through the craggy, gray face of the mountain.

The climb was slow. Tokoyami lagged behind him, slow and unsteady on the gravelly path. He was so pale that Shouto thought he'd faint any moment from blood loss, but there was nothing Shouto could do. He wouldn't be able to carry both Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami.

As they climbed, a dense fog began to roll off the ocean. The hair on the back of Shouto's neck stood on end. It was almost dusk. If Asui was correct, then they were running out of time.

Shouto's eyes narrowed on the back of the nereid's head. She hid it, but Shouto could feel it in the pit of his stomach. She was on guard. He wondered briefly if the situation was not what it appeared. Shouto's lips thinned; he turned to scan the cliffs surrounding them, but nothing moved.

They continued on. He could see a statue of Hephaestus, the god of the forge and protector of cripples, peeking up over the ridge. They were almost at the top.

The air suddenly chilled and the putrid smell of dark magic curled around them like a heavy mist. Shouto shifted to gently place his hand on Yaoyorozu's upper back. He tried to summon his fire magic again, but his body felt empty, like all his power had left him. He scowled. Without magic at his disposal, he felt bare. Even with Endeavor at his side, it was difficult to suppress the sense of being weaponless.

Yaoyorozu shivered, and he pulled her back into his chest. Her hair smelled of salt and brine, offsetting the thick stench of magic weaving through the air. It unexpectedly calmed him. Shouto unconsciously leaned down to press his nose against her temple, then caught himself and drew back.

His lips thinned. It was the curse, he reminded himself. Whatever feelings he was experiencing were fabricated, just like the ravaging fear he had felt upon waking and not finding Yaoyorozu on the raft.

Shouto looked down at Yaoyorozu's unconscious face and his heartbeat sped up. She was pale and beautiful and, yet, there was strength in her as well. She had fought off Moonfish by herself, stood up to Bakugou and protected Tokoyami. And she had most likely been the one who had saved him. Shouto swallowed. In the back of his mind, Shouto realized that there were worse people to be tied to than her.

"What do you want from Yaoyorozu?"

The sudden question pulled Shouto from his thoughts. Reluctantly, he straightened.

"What is she to you?"

Shouto glanced over his shoulder at Tokoyami.

"I could ask you the same question," he said evenly before turning and continuing up the mountain. "She's the one who suggested the deal."

"I know that. But why did you accept?" Tokoyami asked, almost pleadingly.

Shouto stilled. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them and following after Asui without responding. The knowledge of his weakness for Yaoyorozu still throbbed like a fresh cut, too sore to touch.

Dabi and his father knowing was enough of a problem. He didn't need anyone else to know.

Not now.

Not ever.

It would just lead to more complications. Still, it was strange, he could admit. Why had he sacrificed himself to save Tokoyami as well? If he had just grabbed Yaoyorozu and left Tokoyami to Dabi, then he would have been able to escape unscathed, but he hadn't. At that moment, all he could think of was to protect them both. Was that part of Kaminari's curse as well? Somehow he didn't think why? To please her? Or was there a strand of humanity left within him?

"Let her go," Tokoyami said with a clipped tone. "It's me you want, right? You only need me as a slave. Or is it my head that you're after?"

Shouto scoffed. "What would I do with your head?"

The island had suddenly grown unnaturally quiet.

"Then why?" Tokoyami continued, almost desperate.

Shouto ground his teeth.

"Doesn't matter." He turned his head to look at the nearby bushes. "Quiet. Something's there," he said, dropping his voice to a whisper.

Tokoyami tensed. There were loud screeching sounds, and a shadow jumped out of the brush.

"Shit!" Shouto whirled, shielding Yaoyorozu as a human sized bird-like creature shot from the foliage. His head swam at the quick action, and he stumbled, barely dodging razor-sharp feathers from shredding his arm.

The stymphalian screamed and twisted back to attack him again; its bronze beak now aimed for his throat.

Shouto grit his teeth and pulled back sharply, his right hand darting to Endeavor.

"Dark shadow!"

A shriek filled the air, filled with pain, as black spikes shot out of the ground and impaled the creature. It fell, limp. The shadows dissipated and the creature dropped dead onto the ground.

Shouto turned. Tokoyami stood behind him, breathing raggedly. Slowly, he raised his head, and his gaze hardened on Shouto. "As much as I'd love for these creatures to tear you apart, you saved Yaoyorozu. So, I will watch your back to fulfill our debt."

Shouto turned back around, a strange sensation of gratefulness in his chest. "Thanks," he said, preparing himself as more creatures emerged. He shifted Yaoyorozu to his left arm and drew Endeavor.

The neraid was ahead of him on the trail. She had used a spell to turn herself frog-like. She dodged a strike from a stymphalian then jumped up, slamming her now large webbed feet into a creature's head. There was a loud crack as its neck snapped.

A scream sounded from his left. Shouto whirled. A stymphalian leapt at him. He steeled himself, flipping his blade to meet the impact. Endeavor never hit. The stymphalian was dead before it reached him. A cloth wrapped around the creature's neck. There was a loud crack and its head fell to the side in a contorted angle.

Shouto turned. Upon the hill, a slim man with messy, dark hair down to his shoulders and bloodshot eyes had appeared. He was wearing the rusted armor of a warrior and around his neck was the white cloth that had strangled the stymphalians. Clutched to his leg was a little girl with long off-white hair. She would have been normal but for a horn growing out of the side of her head.

Several stymphalians turned in surprise at the newcomers.

They were dead before they could move, their feathers falling away as their bodies contorted into that of women by some strange magic that shimmered over their bodies.

The effect on the rest of the stymphalians was instantaneous. They screeched and promptly melted back into the undergrowth.

Shouto lowered his sword, his good eye narrowed on the man as he caught his breath, his head pounding from the recent exertion.

The man flicked his wrist, and the scarf released the stymphalian's neck. He recalled it and wrapped the cloth back around his own neck. Then he turned to Asui. "And these are?" he asked in a dry voice.

Asui released her magic, morphing back into her original form.

"Aizawa, this is Shouto Todoroki, son of Ares, and Fumikage Tokoyami."

The man's dark eyes widened a fraction as he looked back at Shouto. "Welcome, son of Ares. I'm Shouta Aizawa. Thank you for coming to our aid."

Shouto stared. Then, everything clicked into place at the man's words. Shouto felt every fiber of his being bristle, and his eyes darted to the nereid. His lips pulled back into a snarl. Anger flared through him hotter than Dabi's flames.

"What's the meaning of this, Asui?" he asked, his voice shaking as he tried to reign in his fury. His neck and jaw were tense, fighting to keep his voice neutral.

Asui lowered her head so that she was staring at the ground.

"I'm sorry, Todoroki, Tokoyami, for tricking you into coming here. Kero." Her voice sounded regretful. "But, it's true, Aizawa can heal Yaoyorozu and maybe help you both too."

Shouto opened his mouth, but Aizawa cut him off.

"She brought you here because I requested it." Shouto glared at Aizawa. "The population of stymphalians have been increasing, and they have been growing more violent. Asui and I can no longer deal with the threat by ourselves. I need help protecting this island."

Tokoyami took a step forward to stand next to Shouto. He was breathing heavily. Blood from his stomach wound colored the front of his chiton red.

"Why?" Tokoyami rasped.

Aizawa studied them for a moment. Then, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I run an orphanage of a type, but the children here are not from human parents. Or, at least, not entirely," he said, tilting his head slightly to look at Tokoyami. "As you must be aware of yourself, Fumikage Tokoyami, humans do not take kindly to those who are different. Especially not to those of half-blood lineages whose parents aren't one of the gods."

Tokoyami stiffened. Aizawa continued, "If we go to the mainland, the children will be deemed monsters and killed. Their best chance for survival is to stay here. Which means that I must take care of the stymphalian population."

Shouto trembled slightly as he struggled not to snap. He rolled his jaw.

"So you want us to defeat these creatures for you? Seems like something you could do yourself."

"The ones you just fought are the outcasts of the flock. The main flock is stronger. And you won't be fighting alone. I'll be fighting as well."

A snarl rolled through Shouto. "I'm not here to help you. We came because Asui said you could heal Yaoyorozu," he said coldly, tightening his hold on Endeavor's hilt.

Aizawa's eyes narrowed slightly. "And I can heal her, but in return, I ask for your help."

Shouto glared at the man with all his bitter rage. He should have listened to Tokoyami before following Asui. He glanced at the demigod from the corner of his right eye. Tokoyami looked at him, but his emotions were veiled. Slowly, Shouto's eyes returned back to the man.

"Fine," he said, finally in a hard voice.

Not that they had much of a choice.

Aizawa's expression relaxed. He gave a curt nod and turned. After a moment, Shouto followed with Tokoyami on his tail.

* * *

The house was enormous — a two-story structure made of lime and plaster. Mosaic floors opened up into multiple rooms that surrounded an open courtyard, with wooden stairs that led to a second floor.

It wasn't a house of a commoner and in the back of his mind Shouto wondered who Shouta Aizawa was.

As they followed Aizawa through the house, Shouto could make out the big eyes of seven half-human children watching the party in a mixture of fascination and fear. Shouto's stomach twisted. Counting the young girl with the horn, that made eight children. All appeared under ten summers.

Shouto felt some of his anger dissolve. As furious as he felt for being tricked, the children were innocent. They hadn't asked to be the offspring of monsters. Didn't deserve the discrimination of humans and gods. His lips thinned; he didn't know if he could ignore the situation.

Aizawa paused on the stairs and spoke quietly to Asui. She nodded and turned into a side room as Aizawa led Shouto and Tokoyami upstairs and around an open veranda.

Aizawa stopped in front of a wooden door at the end of the veranda. "You can use this room," he said, pushing the door open and stepping inside.

Shouto walked past him. Inside was a bare room with two wooden beds and a shaggy, white flokati rug decorating the floor for warmth. A window on the far wall looked out at the ocean.

"Unfortunately, we don't have enough space for separate rooms," Aizawa added, as Shouto carried Yaoyorozu to one of the beds and laid her down gently, pulling a woolen blanket over her.

"I'll be back with medicine. There's a bath downstairs. I instructed Asui to get you new clothes and she'll bring a change for her as well," Aizawa drawled, turning towards the door.

Shouto's fingers traveled up his bicep and lingered on the golden bangles adorning his arm; he hesitated then grabbed one and slid it off.

"Aizawa."

The older man stopped in the doorway. Shouto tossed the bracelet to him. Aizawa caught it, and then glanced down. He raised a brow and looked back at Shouto.

"For our stay," Shouto ground out. "I won't be tricked again."

Aizawa nodded and slipped out of the room.

The bathroom was functional and bare, devoid of any frills or unnecessary comforts. Stone floors surrounded a marble tub that was deep enough for Shouto to sit in. He made quick work cleaning himself. Asui had given him a new chiton. He pulled it on, re-sheathed Endeavor at his side, and returned to the room.

Aizawa was back with the little girl. She sat on the edge of the bed as Aizawa hovered over Yaoyorozu, who was now clothed in a fresh chiton.

Tokoyami stood behind him. Some color had returned to his limbs and he didn't appear quite as deathly haggard anymore.

Shouto shifted as he watched the older man tilt Yaoyorozu's head back and pour an elixir down her throat. His chest tightened. He clenched his hands into tight fists at his sides and then swallowed slowly.

"How's she doing?"

Aizawa looked over his shoulder at him. "She'll be fine. I gave her a special medicine that I created," he said, standing up slowly. "Eri has a rare kind of magic that allows her to reverse spells. She can use it directly on creatures, as you saw on the stymphalians. But that's dangerous and could rewind a mortal's life all the way back to infancy, so I diluted some of her power and combined it into an elixir to be used on humans," he explained.

Shouto's right eye widened slightly and turned to study Eri. The little girl blushed and looked down at her hands.

Aizawa continued in a tired voice. "She should wake up shortly." He glanced over at Tokoyami. "You can go clean up now."

Tokoyami didn't move.

Shouto looked at him. "Go. I'll watch her."

Tokoyami searched his face for a moment, then gave a short nod and limped tiredly out of the bedroom.

As he withdrew, Aizawa turned towards Shouto, and his eyes swept over the left side of his face. He moved closer and extended his hand to touch the charred flesh.

"It's miraculous that you weren't burned alive," he said, thoughtfully. Shouto hissed through his teeth but forced himself not to flinch. "Ares' blood flowing in your veins must have saved you." He pulled back his hand. "It appears that your magic contained most of the damage to that one spot. Was that where you were hit?"

Shouto didn't respond.

Aizawa stepped back unperturbed. "Sit down," he instructed, motioning to the bed.

Shouto hesitated before going over to the bed. Leaning Endeavor against the side of the bedframe, he sat down on the ledge of the second bed.

"As I said, Eri has potent magic that may be able to heal the wound completely." He looked over at the little girl and nodded. She hopped off the other cot and moved towards Shouto. "On humans it has to be mixed with other medicinal herbs to dilute its potency, but on demigods, the magic can be applied directly."

The little girl stopped in front of him and raised her hands. There was a sizzling sound, and then warm magic bloomed in her palms like a pulsing bird's heart. She laid her small hands gently over Shouto's eye. He stiffened. Fresh warmth flowed into him for a moment, before dissipating. The little girl pulled back with a small cough. She looked at Aizawa and frowned.

The burning in his left eye was gone. In fact, it felt like all sensation on that side of his face had vanished. Shouto tried to open his eye. It cracked open slowly as if breaking wax off a letter. Everything was blurry and misshapen. He touched the flesh under his eye. It was puffy but when he pulled his hand back his fingers were no longer coated in blood and pus. He looked up at Aizawa.

Aizawa's eyebrows lifted in apparent surprise. "Fascinating."

"What?"

"It would seem that the magic used on you is quite strong," Aizawa said at length. His lips thinned, and he looked at him for several more seconds before turning to retrieve a second bowl and cloth that had been sitting on the floor next to Yaoyorozu's bed.

"This should help with the swelling. Dab it around your eye. Once it heals more, we can see what we can do about the scarring," he instructed, handing the bowl to Shouto.

He gave Shouto one last assessing glance before turning. "When you finish resting, come downstairs and we can discuss your stay in more detail," he said, sweeping out of the room, Eri following on his heels.

For a few moments, Shouto sat on the bed staring at the elixir. The smell was cloying and heavy. His fingers twitched, and he tightened his hold around the bowl.

Could he trust Aizawa? The man was mysterious and all too secretive for Shouto's liking. He could read a battlefield, but reading humans was far harder.

He was still staring at the medicine when a dry voice sounded from across the room. "To-ko-ya-mi?"

Shouto's heart stuttered, and he looked up sharply. Yaoyorozu had sat up on the opposite bed, her eyes unfocused as she looked around.

"What happened?" she asked slowly. Then, she paused, and her eyes widened. "Where are we? Where's Tokoyami?" Her voice cracked slightly. She pushed herself out of the bed and attempted to stand. Her legs buckled, and she fell forward onto the floor.

Shouto stood and rushed to Yaoyorozu's side. He crouched down and reached out to touch her, hesitating. She didn't want him. She wanted Tokoyami. His lips thinned, and he lowered his hand to clench on his lap. "Don't strain yourself," he said, his voice tense. Shouto's knuckles were white and he forced himself to open them. "He's fine, just taking a bath."

A strangled sigh of relief escaped Yaoyorozu and she clutched a hand to her chest, her shoulders visibly relaxing. "Thank the gods," she breathed, closing her eyes and dragging in a deep breath. Then, she opened them, appearing to have composed herself. She drew in another deep breath and turned to him. Her eyes widened and she gasped. "Your eye!"

Shouto's hand darted up and covered his left side of his face. He turned slightly away. "Sorry. It must be unsightly."

Yaoyorozu hesitated and then shook her head. "No – I just didn't expect it to be blue," she said softly.

Shouto blinked. "Blue?" he repeated, frowning. He dropped his hand and looked back at her.

She nodded, then tilted her head to study him. "Can you...can you see out of it?"

His lips thinned and he shrugged. "Slightly."

Yaoyorozu bit her lip and stared at him for another moment before pulling her gaze away to look around the room. "Where are we? The last I remember was Moonfish..." she trailed off.

"We're on Aretias."

Yaoyorozu's gaze jerked back to him. "What? How? I thought this island was uninhabitable?"

"You needed a doctor."

Yaoyorozu's gaze glanced over his shoulder, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. "If I had just swallowed too much water I should have been fine after expelling it from my lungs so - because I touched your sword?"

Shouto nodded. "Endeavor is difficult to handle. It allows anyone to pick it up, but if it doesn't deem that person worthy, it will curse them if they use it in battle."

A shadow flickered through Yaoyorozu's eyes.

His chest tightened. Shouto's fingers twitched to touch her, reassure her, but he forced himself from moving. "You needed help and the nereid brought us here."

"And the stymphalians that are said to inhabit the island?"

Shouto sighed. He suddenly felt tired. "In exchange for saving you, I agreed to help the landowner take care of the flock."

He rocked back on his heels, before Yaoyorozu could question further and stood up. Yaoyorozu followed him. Her legs wobbled slightly, and Shouto's hand darted out and caught her elbow to steady her. She looked up at him. Her face was slightly flushed. An aftereffect from the medicine, most likely. At least her temperature seemed almost normal, he noted as he released her. "Rest. We'll stay here for the time being," he said, stepping back. He turned and returned to the bed, picking up the liquid elixir.

Yaoyorozu watched him for a moment before slowly moving closer. The bed dipped as she took a seat, facing him. Her black eyes searched his face. Shouto met her gaze silently. After a moment, she reached out and gently, almost tentatively took the bowl from him. Her long, delicate fingers brushed against his. Shouto's stomach flipped. Her hands were warm.

"Here. Let me."

She took the bowl and set it beside herself. Shouto watched through hooded eyes as she picked up the cloth, wrung out the excess liquid and brought it to his eye, pressing down gently.

It burned as it touched his still raw skin. Shouto hissed and pulled back slightly.

Yaoyorozu paused, pulling her hand back to hover in the air. "Sorry."

Shouto swallowed and forced himself to relax. "It's fine."

Yaoyorozu nodded and began applying the liquid again. "Burdock or marshmallow and grape must. It's a potent mixture for burn wounds."

"Hmm," Shouto said.

There was a scraping sound of the door opening. Yaoyorozu quickly removed her hand, swiveling around. Shouto felt his gut clench in annoyance and looked up to see Tokoyami standing in the doorway, fresh and completely healed.

Yaoyorozu jumped off of the bed and ran to the demigod, throwing her arms around his neck. "You're better! I was so worried!"

"I won't die that easily," he said, returning her embrace, but his gaze didn't seem to leave him.

Shouto's jaw tightened and he stood up. He grabbed Endeavor and trudged towards the door. He paused for a moment before exiting and looked back at the pair. His fingers twitched slightly and he curled them around Endeavor's hilt.

Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami broke apart. Yaoyorozu looked over at him and her smile faded somewhat. Tokoyami's eyes narrowed. Evidently their temporary truce had ended. Shouto's fingers tightened on Endeavor's hilt. He forced his fingers to relax.

"Don't get comfortable. We'll leave once we've repaid Aizawa."

* * *

Thank you for reading! Comments, whether from users of this site or guests, gives me life. So thank you for supporting! Updates will be tri-weekly.

Teppodama Hassaishu - otherwise known as the 'Eight Bullets' in English, these men are Overhaul's top guards. In this story they are the leaders of the Stymphalian.

Stymphalian - were a group of monstrous birds in Greek mythology. They devoured humans, and had beaks made of bronze. Their feathers were sharp and metallic and could be thrown against their prey, while their dung was poisonous. In one story they were not birds, but women and daughters of Stymphalus and Ornis, and were killed by Heracles because they did not receive him hospitably...nice guy!


	8. Chapter 8: We Can (Not) Be Friends

**AHH! You are all so wonderful! Thank you so much for welcoming me back and all your wonderful reviews! I've decided to start including my replies below, so that everyone can read the answers.**

Fencer29 - I know 3 months, in the grand scheme of things isn't THAT long, but I still feel bad I had to go on hiatus. Lol, it would have been funny if Poseidon had nabbed the sword just to mess with Ares, but Asui was already there so he didn't need to show up. :P Thank you so much for always taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it.

Nap-Tyme – AH! You're so good to me. 3 I'm glad you like the introduction of Eri, Aizawa and Asui. Totally true though, if not for Eri, Todoroki would be hard to deal with during their stay. OMG. LOL a boat baby?! How long are you expecting them to be on the boat for? 9 months? HAHAHA.

KeroKeroNyao - Yep, Todoroki and Tokoyami have a lot to work through, but its understandable. Tokoyami only knows of Shouto as the enemy and thinks any kindness towards Yoayorozu is just a setup for some ulterior motive, because he has no idea that Todoroki has been hit with a love arrow. Where as Todoroki, although trying to be nice to Tokoyami, doesn't have any actual feelings (good or bad) for the demigod, his only push is to make Momo happy and so he keeps Tokoyami alive for her. But if Tokoyami gets in the way of Todo having Momo, how long will the magic allow Todoroki to keep Tokoyami around?

Boa-Avadara - And oh my gosh! I can't believe this is the first BNHA fanfic that you picked up! I'm so incredibly honored! Thank you so much! Updates will be tri-weekly. Thank you again and stay safe during these crazy times!

mihairu7- I think that's one of the areas that writers, at least in TodoMomo fandom for whatever reason, don't do much is mix up how Todo gets his scar and blue eye. Especially in AUs I think its fun to give a twist on how he gets his burn. I'm glad you enjoyed my approach on it. Tokoyami's power is slightly different here. He still controls shadows, but is more affected by light then in canon. Also, lol, I guess I can see the similarities. I haven't seen Troy in a looong time but I think Brad Pitt and whoever the lead actress were on opposite sides of the war too?

Oli – Ahh! Thank you! I'm glad you liked Momo's balance between scared and being fierce. That was really hard for me to capture, so I'm happy you liked how she turned out.

Guest 1- AHHH! Your comment made me cry! Thank you for thinking this is gold.

Owl – Lol! There wouldn't be much of a story if TodoMomo just married now and had kids. Thank you for reading!

Guest 2 – I hadn't heard of Quietus, had to go look it up. I'm assuming you are referring to the Naruto SasuSaku fic by AngeLhearteD. It looks really good and I'll have to try reading it. :) And my quarantine is going well. Just working from home and taking it day by day. Hope you are doing well too!

Guest 3 – AHHH! Thank you so much for thinking Todoroki is cool! I'm trying really, really hard to make him a mysterious hottie. And we'll get to Momo and her feelings, it is just going to take time. ;) Feelings don't happen overnight…unless you are Todoroki struck by a love arrow.

Luxen –Your review made me so happy and don't worry! Your English is fine! Thank you so much for taking the time to review.

Also, thank you to my wonderful betas: Flourchildwrites and C'sMelody. And thank you to 666-HyuugaNeji-999 for doing a preview read to make sure everything flowed.

* * *

**Chapter 8: We Can (Not) Be Friends**

* * *

**28 days post the fall of Troy**

_Momo ran down the empty street. The houses on either side of her were burning; bright red flames licked off of their roofs. The heat bore down on her, hot and suffocating, but she didn't stop._

_She skidded and nearly fell as she rounded a corner. In front of her was the temple's courtyard. Her throat constricted. Everything was as she remembered it on the night Troy fell. Apollo's statue had been toppled; marble stones lay scattered across the space interspersed with dead soldiers, their faces slack and eyes empty._

_Momo tore her gaze away and looked up. In the middle of the square, the temple was a writhing inferno of flames. The air was thick with black smoke._

_In front of the building, four darkened figures stood watching the flames consume the temple._

_Her eyes widened, and something within her twisted as the blackened shapes morphed. They were everyone she had ever considered family. She couldn't see their faces, but she knew them: her mother and father's tall, delicate frames, Tokoyami's raven head, and Kyouka Jirou's cropped hair._

_Momo called to them, but her voice was drowned out by the roaring flames._

_Suddenly, her mother took a step forward towards the burning building. The blood in Momo's veins ran cold as she watched the others follow._

_She bolted across the yard. She was screaming for them to stop. She reached out, and her fingers almost grazed the back of Tokoyami's chiton when something wrapped around her ankle._

_Momo tripped and hit the ground. She looked down at what had grabbed her and froze._

_Pale, dead fingers of one of the temple's priestesses had wrapped around her ankle. The dead priestess looked up. Her eyes were hollow, but they seemed to be staring right at Momo. Then the woman's lips curled, and she smiled up at her with vicious glee._

"_Where are you going, kiss ass?"_

_Momo's throat constricted, and she tried to kick the hand off but couldn't._

"_Only time she shuts up," another disjointed voice echoed. _

_Momo turned her head sharply. Her eyes widened, and she stared in horror as one of the dead soldier's bodies twitched and then transformed into another of the temple's priestesses. She stared back at her with the same blank gaze._

"_She thinks she's blessed by the gods," the woman said, sneering. "But no one likes her. That's why they all leave."_

_Then, all around her, the other bodies of the soldiers began to twitch and mutate into the priestesses she had once known._

_Momo screamed, but no sound came out. She looked up, trying to find Tokoyami, her parents, Jirou. Anyone. But they were gone. They had left her._

_A hand grasped her wrist. Momo tried to jerk away, but the fingers tightened like chains. "Bitch, where are you looking?" There was a singsong quality to the woman's voice. "You know bitches like you don't have any friends," she said, releasing her._

_Suddenly, a chorus of women's voices started up, laughing and giggling. "Bitch has no friends. Bitch has no friends. Bitch has no friends."_

_The voices grew louder. _

_Momo sobbed and curled into a ball, clamping her hands over her ears to keep out the sound, but she couldn't. The laughter kept going on and on. Cruel, taunting, hysterical peals of laughter._

* * *

Momo's eyes snapped open. Her heart was pounding. It felt as though she couldn't breathe. The back of her neck was clammy. Her chest and throat felt tight, and she started shaking as she tried not to cry.

It was a dream.

Only a dream.

It was the same nightmare she always had. Her parents, Jirou, and Tokoyami would be standing in front of the burning temple. She'd run towards them, reach out, and her fingers would almost grasp them before everyone would disappear, leaving her behind.

Abandoning her.

Momo brought her right arm up and draped it over her eyes as she worked to regain control of her breathing.

She was okay. Tokoyami was okay. They were in Aizawa's orphanage far away from Troy, she reminded herself. There was no reason to be scared. Those dreams weren't real. There weren't even any other priestesses on the island, nor was there even a temple in Troy anymore.

It had been almost a month since Troy had fallen, three weeks since they had arrived at Aizawa's orphanage. She shouldn't be having these nightmares anymore.

Her heart slowly stopped pounding, but her chest hurt. After a moment, Momo turned on her side and curled into a ball as she looked across the small room.

A pale beam of moonlight illuminated the space enough for her to make out Asui's untouched bed.

She was still on patrol with Tokoyami and Aizawa. From the positioning of the light shining through the window, it was at least another hour until they were back.

Momo swallowed over a thick throat and squeezed her eyes shut, lying in bed and trying not to think. Wishing she could just turn her mind off.

It wasn't as if she hadn't had similar nightmares before. She'd had night terrors all her life. They'd begun ten years ago when her parents had given her to the temple. The war had just broken out at the time, and she would lay awake at night on the cold stone floor of the temple crying as she listened to the screams and terror of the war. It wasn't until she'd met Kyouka Jirou and Fumikage Tokoyami that the dreams had faded for a while, only to return when Jirou was taken by the gods.

Momo's fingers twitched. She didn't drink, and any other remedies for restless thoughts had run out by the middle of the war. So she had just worked harder, pushing herself with her duties as top healer or sneaking out at night to practice with her halberd spear until she was too exhausted to dream.

And now they were here, on Aretias, safe and away from the war and the smell of decaying bodies.

Momo opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling.

Life at the orphanage was peaceful. Her days were filled with learning to cook and other womanly tasks that she had been exempt from at the temple. At night the stymphalian would come, but overall it was a relatively quiet life. It had left her restless, however, and that restlessness had begun to seep into her dreams, making the nightmares more graphic.

Momo lay in bed but was too upset to sleep anymore. Her stomach twisted. Momo turned her head and looked at the door.

She wished Tokoyami would hurry up and get back. She needed to see him. She needed to know he hadn't abandoned her. Hadn't died on the mission or had snuck off the island, leaving her behind.

She hated being alone.

After a while, she pushed herself up and swung her legs over the bed, sliding on her sandals.

The floorboards creaked under her feet as she made her way out the door and onto the second floor's wrap around wooden veranda. Momo breathed in a shaky breath as the warm ocean breeze hit her face. She slid her hands underneath her hair, lifting up the tresses to allow the wind to cool her neck.

It was a quiet evening. The stymphalian were likely laying low and tending to their wounded, which meant they wouldn't be back that night.

Momo leaned against one of the wooden beams and closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths to steady herself.

Everything would be fine, she told herself. Tokoyami would be back. He wouldn't leave her. She didn't need to be afraid.

A door to her right creaked open, and Momo looked up.

"Ms. Yaoyorozu?" Eri stood in the doorway looking at her.

"Eri." Momo straightened and turned around. She gave her a small smile that she hoped hid her earlier anxiety. "What are you doing up? It's late," she said gently as she approached her.

Eri shifted under her gaze, and her eyes darted to the floor. Her small hands were shaking as they clenched her white chiton. "I had a dream."

Momo's heart stuttered. She knelt down in front of the small girl and pulled her into a hug. "Another nightmare?"

Eri nodded. "I want Master Aizawa." She mumbled into her shoulder.

Momo's chest hurt. Eri was so powerful; her magic was so strong. Sometimes Momo forgot that she was just a child of six.

Momo wrapped her arms around Eri tightly. "He's out right now on patrol with Asui and Tokoyami." She hesitated, then added, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I just – I don't know." Eri's voice broke, and a small sob raked through her.

"It's okay," Momo said into her hair, smoothing a couple of wayward strands back. "Nothing is going to hurt you. No one is going to eat you. I promise."

Eri sniffed and then slowly wrapped her arms around Momo's neck. She was always such a quiet child. It was as if she thought any sound would be the end of her. She only seemed to relax when Aizawa was around. He was her security blanket.

Momo felt her chest tighten. She could understand that.

"Let's get you back to bed. I'll sit with you until you fall asleep. How does that sound?" Momo asked, nuzzling her nose into Eri's hair.

Eri hesitated and then, after a second, nodded. Momo picked her up and carried her back inside the children's room. The space was nearly identical to the place she and Asui occupied, but instead of a chest, there was an extra bed below the windowsill.

The other children were all sleeping soundly, two to three per cot. Momo carried Eri over to her bed and gently sat on the edge. The bed dipped under her weight, and the other orphan, Hime, mumbled and turned over, a piece of curly blonde hair sticking to her mouth.

Momo smiled softly and wrapped her arms tightly around Eri, holding her to her chest and running her hands down her back in soothing motions. After a moment, she began to hum.

It was an old song, one that Jirou had taught her many years ago. It had been a long time since she had last sung it, but it had always calmed Momo down when she was younger.

When Eri's breathing had leveled and she'd finally fallen asleep, Momo lay her back down in bed. She pulled the blanket over Eri, and then quietly stood up.

The other kids were still sleeping soundly. She could see the tips of Kota's horns poking out from underneath his blanket. Tamashiro was lying sideways, mouth open with his sharp teeth bared. He appeared to almost be falling off his cot.

Momo snorted softly and moved to his side. She gently adjusted his limbs back onto the bed. Then, she pulled up the blanket and tucked him back in.

She stared at all of them for a moment before returning to her room. She crawled back onto her bed, pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her head on her knees. She wasn't tired.

Thinking about Jirou was like picking at an old wound. It always left a dull ache in her chest. Momo leaned her head back against the wall. She wondered if thinking about her now meant anything.

She snorted faintly at the thought, and her fingers twitched. She pulled a section of loose hair over her shoulder and ran her fingers through it; they caught sharply on a knot. She hissed and looked down. It must have gotten tangled while she'd slept.

Sighing, Momo picked at her hair, trying to untangle the knots. She wished she could put it up, but didn't have any hair bands or cloth to tie it.

The door creaked open, drawing her attention away from her task.

Momo paused and looked up as Asui entered the room. She felt a wave of relief and her shoulders loosened.

"Welcome back."

"Don't get up." Asui motioned as Momo began to push herself up. "Tokoyami is debriefing with Aizawa and Todoroki." She yawned and then gave her a sleepy smile. "I'm exhausted, kero."

Momo hummed in acknowledgment, relaxing back into her seated position against the wall. Her fingers returned to her hair, and she resumed picking at the knots.

Asui moved to the wooden chest below the window, and Momo watched absently as she began preparing for bed. She didn't know what else to say. She always felt so awkward talking to Asui. It wasn't that she found her cold; it was just that it had been so long since she had last had a female friend — or any friend besides Tokoyami.

She didn't know how to start.

"Here. Let me help you."

Momo blinked and looked up as Asui moved closer. She was holding a beautiful black comb, stylized with two swans. She slid onto the bed next to Momo and motioned for her to turn around.

"Thank you," Momo said softly as Asui positioned herself behind her and began to run the comb gently through her hair.

"Of course, kero."

They fell into silence.

Momo was beginning to relax into Asui's touch when the nereid spoke again. "You don't like me very much, do you?"

Momo's eyes abruptly widened, and she looked back quickly. "No! That's not it!" She protested. Then she blushed and looked down at the bed. "It's just – I never – I'm not very good at making friends."

Momo turned back around and pushed her face into her knees. She felt ashamed. "I'm really sorry. I haven't had a girl friend in a very long time. I just don't know how to act. I don't mean to be rude."

"What about at the temple? There were other priestesses there, weren't there?"

Momo's arms tightened around her knees. "Yeah, there were other priestesses."

'_They just didn't like me_,' she finished internally. Momo swallowed the bitterness of the thought.

"I'm sorry," Asui said after a moment, seemingly to read between the lines. Momo was glad she didn't have to say it.

"It's okay." Momo wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Tokoyami has been my only friend for a long time now."

"What about Todoroki? He seems to care for you too."

Momo's lips thinned. "He's my master. I sold myself to him when Troy fell to save Tokoyami."

Asui hummed. "Is that so, kero? He doesn't seem like any master I've ever seen, though," she said thoughtfully.

"Why do you say that?" Momo turned slightly to stare at Asui in confusion.

"He risked his life for you. I've never seen a master do that for someone who is just a slave."

Momo ran quickly through her memories, but couldn't pinpoint a time when he had risked his life for her. "What do you mean?" she asked again.

Asui's hand paused, and she looked at her seriously. "Todoroki was the one who saved you from drowning, kero."

Momo's eyes widened. She hadn't known.

"I've never seen someone jump into the ocean so fast. You must hold some significance for him to be so desperate."

Someone significant to Todoroki? That was impossible. Asui must have it wrong. He must have dived in because he'd realized she had taken his sword. There was no way someone like him would view her as anyone of importance.

She frowned.

There was a light knock on the door. Momo looked up as Tokoyami entered. Momo felt her chest loosen. "It's your shift."

Momo nodded and said a quick farewell to Asui before exiting the room.

Tokoyami was waiting for her on the veranda. She looked around but noted that Todoroki was nowhere in sight. He was probably still speaking with Aizawa.

Momo stepped up next to Tokoyami and looked out over the courtyard. A fountain stood in the middle of the garden adorned with a statue of Hephaestus, god of the forge and protector of outcasts. Moonlight shimmered off of the water. On the far wall, she could see the deep lacerations from the stymphalian attack two nights prior.

"How was your patrol?" she asked after a minute.

Tokoyami shrugged slightly. "There's not much to report tonight. Our paths did not cross with those creatures of darkness."

Momo nodded. Tokoyami looked at her, and his eyes seemed to narrow slightly as he studied her. "You haven't been sleeping again."

It was a blunt statement — an accurate one.

"I had another dream."

Tokoyami's expression hardened. "The same as before?"

"Yeah."

"Are you alright? We're safe here. There's no reason to be afraid."

"I know."

The shadows from the first floor shifted, and Todoroki stepped out into the courtyard. He raised his head, and his eyes met hers. He gave her a short nod.

It was time for their patrol. Momo straightened under his gaze.

_You hold some significance to him._

She stilled and felt her face warm as she watched Todoroki go back inside.

"Yaoyorozu."

Tokoyami's stern voice caught Momo's attention. When she looked back at him, his expression was pensive. "What is it?"

Tokoyami looked at her for a moment and then tilted his head back. He stared up at the ceiling for a full minute. "Just be careful around him. Don't get too close," he finally said in a tight voice.

The corner of Momo's mouth twitched.

"You're too kind and forgiving. People take advantage of that," he continued, looking away from the ceiling to stare at her again.

Momo dropped her gaze to the floor. "He's our master. I can't just ignore him."

"I know. Just — be careful. He's being decent now to trick us, but don't forget that he's the enemy. Like I told you before, his path is paved in darkness."

Momo frowned. "I don't know."

"Yaoyorozu." Tokoyami's voice was clipped. Momo looked up and his expression was hard. His hands were curled at his side. "Don't get too close to him. You've always had a good heart. And I know that. But don't get too close. That man – he doesn't have the slightest intention of seeing you as human."

Momo lips thinned. "I know that he was our enemy. But the war is over and Asui said that he –"

"He's Ares' son!" Momo's eyes widened, and she looked up. Tokoyami's expression softened; he looked away. "I know I sound harsh. And maybe for a normal human I'd be wrong, but this is Ares' son. He just sees us as tools. To him, significance equates to 'value,' and a person only has value when they are useful for his purposes."

"He may be acting like a normal human right now, but that's because he needs our help to get off of this island. As soon as we are back in Sparta, he will treat you just as all those people did back at the temple or worse. You know as well as I do that slaves have no rights."

Momo didn't say anything. His words stung with the truth.

Tokoyami sighed and rested his arms against the veranda railing. He dipped his head down to lay his forehead on his arms. "I just – I just don't want to see you hurt. We've been through too much. I can't afford to lose you too."

Momo looked at him and felt something in her heart twist as he raised his head and stared back at her. They weren't even a foot apart, but he looked at her as if he expected to never see her again.

* * *

The crescent moon cast a soft light down onto the earth, contouring the craggy face of the cliffs in a black velour.

Momo pressed her body against a large boulder as she carefully shifted to peer around the rock. Her eyes narrowed as she looked down the mountain. Her heart was beating quickly. She could hear sharp screeches, interspersed by the noise of breaking bones.

"What do you see?" Todoroki's voice was low as he whispered next to her ear. A shiver ran down her spine, and Momo became keenly aware of the heat of his chest against her back as he leaned over her. He smelled faintly of olives with the undertones of marjoram.

Her body felt warm as his breath ghosted over her nape.

She ignored it and squinted. Shapes shifted in the darkness.

"Four or five stymphalian," she said finally, not looking away from the group. "It looks like they caught something."

Todoroki hummed in acknowledgment and slowly withdrew. "Let's go," he said, straightening. "They won't be causing trouble tonight."

He turned and headed back up the cliff, as silently as if he were Harpocrates, the god of silence himself.

Momo's skills left something to be desired when compared to the way Todoroki moved. She turned to follow after him, and the rocky ground crunched underneath her feet. She would never win any medals for being a silent and swift huntress. Artemis would be disappointed in her.

Momo snorted silently to herself. Her eyes flitted to Todoroki walking ahead of her on the uneven path. Every so often, he would tilt his head as if listening, and she'd faintly make out his jaw clenching. His hand rested on his sword.

He seemed angry.

It was probably difficult for him. The steep jagged paths, populated by thickets of junipers and wildflowers made traversing the Northern side of the island difficult during the day, much less at night. And, as far as she could tell, his left eye hadn't completely healed. He never showed it, nor spoke about it, but every so often she'd see his gaze narrow as if he were trying to distinguish figures in the dark.

"_He may be acting like a normal human now, but that's because he needs our help to get off of this island…"_

Momo's lips thinned, and her eyes narrowed on his back as she continued to study him.

She would be lying if she said she didn't hold a certain degree of fascination for Shouto Todoroki.

He was silent, even quieter than Aizawa if that was possible. And he appeared completely apathetic towards most things and people. And yet, technically, he had taken her and Tokoyami as his servants. Slaves that he could do with as he pleased. But it had been almost a month, and he still hadn't asked anything of them.

Was it all a ruse? Tokoyami's words rippled through her mind, and her stomach turned.

It was common knowledge that women were regularly raped and forced to do menial tasks as slaves. Even if she was considered a hetera, it was still within Todoroki's right to do with her as he pleased.

But, as far as she could tell, he had no intention to do anything to her. Even before coming to the island, Todoroki had saved her and treated her kindly.

In fact, if she didn't know better, she'd think he treated her as an equal — which didn't make sense, given what she knew of Spartans and men in general.

_You hold some significance to him._

Momo's lips pursed. She had always prided herself on her good judgment and her ability to solve complex problems, but Tokoyami's recent comments made her question if she was being too trusting? And, to a certain extent, she couldn't blame him; she had a tendency to believe the best in people.

She sighed silently and rubbed at her temples. She didn't know what to think. Logically, Tokoyami was right, she should keep her distance, but the mystery around Todoroki kept bringing her mind back towards him.

She was intrigued by him. Todoroki was an enigma, a riddle that needed to be slowly dissected and pieced back together.

"Let's take a break."

Momo looked up as Todoroki's deep voice drew her from her thoughts.

They were in a small clearing. Dead grass tickled her ankles, and Momo shifted as she watched Todoroki make his way over to a large boulder. He leaned his back against it and closed his eyes as if to rest.

After a moment, Momo turned and looked around the clearing awkwardly. There wasn't much besides wilted shrubbery and the boulder Todoroki was already occupying. Finally, she found a good-sized rock and sat down.

A calm silence settled around them.

Her feet hurt from the uneven climb, and her neck felt overheated underneath her thick hair. Momo gathered it into her hands and lifted the tresses up to let the wind wick at her nape.

Todoroki finally spoke after a few minutes of silence.

"Is everything alright?" he asked abruptly.

Momo paused. She looked up. Todoroki was watching her.

The moonlight caught in his eyes, making them shine silver and turquoise.

The charred flesh from Dabi's magic had chipped away over a week ago, leaving only a red, discolored patch over his left eye that had become a stunning bright blue. The changes made him look both terrifying and beautiful at the same time.

She blinked, dropping her hair so it fell down her back. "Yes, I'm fine. I can keep going."

"I don't mean about the patrol." His eyes seemed to glitter as he looked at her, and Momo's brow furrowed. "I heard you get up earlier."

Momo stiffened, and her chest tightened as the memories of her dream suddenly clawed at her consciousness.

She didn't want to think about it, and certainly didn't want to talk about it to anyone but Tokoyami. Least of all with someone like Todoroki, who would never understand her night terrors anyway.

Momo swallowed and tried to school her expression into one of indifference. Proudly, she raised her chin. She was glad her voice didn't shake as she met his gaze. "It's nothing. I just couldn't sleep."

Todoroki's eyes seemed to narrow on her. Almost suspiciously. Momo looked away, hoping he would drop the subject. Her fingers twisted in her lap. After a moment, she peeked back up at him from under her lashes. He was still watching her. Momo felt her heart abruptly stall as something in his gaze shifted, and his eyes darkened.

Momo swallowed nervously.

"It was pretty."

Momo started and looked up at him.

"The song," he clarified, addressing the confusion she was sure was written across her face.

Momo's stomach dropped. "You were listening?" she asked, aghast, clenching her hand over her chest. She was glad it was too dark for him to see her face.

How embarrassing.

She wasn't even a decent singer. She could barely hold a tune. That he had been listening was mortifying. Momo felt her face burn.

He nodded. "I was." He tilted his head slightly. "Where's it from?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Momo hesitated for a moment, contemplating if telling him about her past was a wise decision, but she couldn't think of a reason not to. Jirou had been taken before the war had ended. There wasn't anything anyone could do about it. It was old information, even if the wound in her heart was still throbbing.

"An old friend taught it to me before she was taken by the gods," she finally said.

His expression darkened. "I'm sorry for your loss." He sounded like he meant it, but Momo couldn't tell if that was just what she wanted to believe.

She looked away. "It was a long time ago." She brought her hand up to close over her chest. "One of Aphrodite's erotes took her away. Tokoyami and I haven't seen her since."

Todoroki seemed to stiffen at her words, and he rolled his jaw. "Is that so…" His voice had suddenly become cold.

He grew quiet after that.

* * *

Thank you everyone for reading. I seriously had so much fun writing this chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it. :D

As you can see tension is mounting. The war is over, but it hasn't left Momo. With Tokoyami and her safety no longer in immediate danger, Momo is starting to feel antsy and the night terrors, that had plagued her at the temple, are returning. She isn't the only one living with nightmares. Eri has her own terrors and as Momo sings her to sleep, she is reminded of Kyouka Jirou, another priestess from the temple that had, for some unknown reason, been taken by the gods. Jirou was Momo's only girl friend growing up and so now, Momo feels uncomfortable as Asui tries to get close to her. This tension keeps mounting as Tokoyami scolds Momo for being too kind to Todoroki. In Tokoyami's eyes, the Spartan is no different then those priestesses from back at the temple who only were nice when they needed something. Momo isn't sure that Tokoyami is right, but lets the conversation drop as she heads off on patrol, feeling that something has changed within their relationship. On patrol, Todoroki mentions how he had heard Momo singing. Embarrassed to learn he had eavesdropped, Momo tells him about Jirou being taken by one of Aphrodite's erotes.

Notes:

Artemis - Goddess of the hunt and twin sister to Apollo, the god of the sun.

Hetera - a higher level mistress than a normal slave.

Kota Izumi - Kota is a small boy who stands at a height comparable to Minoru Mineta. He wears a white collared shirt with buttons, dark shorts, and black boots. Kota has short, spiky black hair and wears a red hat with golden, spike-shaped horns on the front. After Izuku Midoriya saved him from the villain, Muscular, he starts wearing red sneakers that are the same as Izuku's.

Marjoram - an aromatic southern European plant of the mint family, the leaves of which are used as a culinary herb. It's a very close relative to Oregano, and although its scent is similar, it's much less pungent and far more pleasant. It's got a slightly camphorous, woody, herbal scent with a hint of spice. Ancient Greeks would use the fragrance for their hair.

Tamishiro - Tamashiro is a small boy with dark marks around his red eyes and messy, blond hair. He also has sharp, pointed teeth. He's a student from Masegaki Primary School.


	9. Chapter 9: We Can (Not) Comfort

Welcome back everyone! Sorry for the slightly late chapter, I've been busy with the TodoMomo Mini Bang, but I got this wonderful picture from Rennomiya to say thank you! You can view it on my twitter at twitter TPlease1717 /status/1272737679361351680

Also, if you haven't heard of it, the Mini Bang is a collaboration between incredibly talented writers and artists to produce new TodoMomo content and the posting dates are from June 14th to July 13th! Works are tagged to the TodoMomo Mini Bang 2020 collection on Archive of Our Own, if you want to look up the amazing works. Also, if you care to get involved, feel free to pledge to become a Book Club member. Basically, you'd agree to like, reblog and/or comment on a couple of our wonderful teams' creations. :)

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Thank you so much to my wonderful reviewers! Seriously, your feedback gives me life!

Fencer29 - Thank you for another review! I really love hearing your thoughts. Haha, yep, the gods just do what they want, but when haven't they?

You're right, but since I don't know how they would have spoken either and, since I've already broken enough with tradition (ie given everyone surnames and not made slaves walk around naked), I thought it would be forgiven. But I justify it also because they probably had some words that had a similar meaning to our colloquial terms. When hasn't their been a derogatory term for a woman?

As for the description of Kota and Tamashiro at the end of the chapter, that was copy and pasted from their character bios on Wikipedia so probably should have referenced that.

Mihairu7 – Sorry this is long! Your review made me so incredibly happy! I mean it, thank you! You're totally right, anime dreams can be super haunting, but I figure Momo has been through enough trauma in her life, some of it is bound to leak into her subconscious.

You hit the nail on the head. I'm really glad that you picked up on Momo's fear of losing the people she loves and being abandoned because it affects all her interactions with the other characters. Starting from chapter 2, where Momo so desperately protected Tokoyami I was dropping hints of her fear of being alone. At the time, its easy to overlook and assume she is just a really good friend, but now that we have more characters being added into the story, its clearer that her fears are driving her interactions with others. Part of the reason she has a hard time trusting others and getting close to people, even Asui, is because of those fears. She is afraid that if she lets people into her heart they are just going to leave her. And the fact that she was bullied so cruelly by the petty priestesses (because when haven't women been cruel to each other?) makes her always feel she is walking on egg shells and leads her to doubts herself when she tries to make friends.

I know, poor Eri. But I wanted to show Momo's relation to the children. And Momo and Eri's shared fears adds necessary details for later. I'm really glad that you liked the addition of the children though. I can't have an orphanage and never mention them.

Kind of going back to the earlier statement that Momo has a hard time trusting others because of her fears, Momo is still wary of Todoroki. But Asui's outsider view of their relationship and her own interactions with him are starting to warm her heart. Slowly, she is beginning to realize that he isn't just a Spartan. And I promise they will have more interactions soon! This arc just focuses so much on Momo that it can't all be about TodoMomo getting googly eyed over each other.

Yeah, slavery in ancient Greece was brutal. From all my research, women captured in war were pushed into brothels were they were chained up so they couldn't escape. And if they were a house slave they'd normally be walking around naked and could be raped anytime by their master so Tokoyami has enough reasons to fear for Momo's safety. He also sees her slowly growing fond of Todoroki and wants to remind her to keep her distance otherwise she will be hurt.

Hahahah! I originally wanted him to confront Momo as soon as she left Eri's room, but then changed up the scene so they talked on their patrol. But, partly because of the curse, Todoroki is really conscious of Momo at all times. So he probably heard her get up but didn't know how to approach her. Todoroki also seems like the type, even in canon, that would think about things for a long time before he brings them up. So he was thinking about her throughout their patrol, just trying to find the words and the right time to bring it up.

Boa-Avadara – Ahh! Omg, you are too sweet! It makes me so happy that you like this fic so much! I'm trying to update every three weeks, but not going to be as hard on myself as when I first started writing this. Next update should be the weekend of the 4th.

KeroKeroNyao - Ahh thank you for reading and taking the time to comment again! TodoMomo will open up to each other more, eventually. They just need some external forces to motivate them. You're so sweet! Thank you. I try so hard with world building and writing these stories kind comments like this just make me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Oli – Thank you! I'm really happy that you can feel Momo's growing fondness for Todoroki but also her trepidation.

Jenchen.H - That's a great theory! I'm not going to confirm or deny at this moment, because I'm the worst with spoilers so know if I write more than that I'd be giving some plot details up (however, you'll probably figure it out in this chapter) But thank you so much for reading and taking the time to review. I hope you stick around for the rest of the story.

MadJay29 - Ahhh! I'm so glad I rekindled your love for Greek mythology, its seriously so much fun to learn about. I keep finding new stories and details while I write Ashes of Love and War, and seriously the Greeks came up with some pretty crazy stories. Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment! Next update should be out this weekend if all goes as planned.

Guest – Hehe. I'm glad even though you don't usually like straight couples that you decided to give this a try! Really appreciate that and I'm so glad you are enjoying this.

Also, once again thank you to my amazing betas: C's Melody, FlourChildWrites and 666-HyuugaNeji-999. Now, onto the show!

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**Chapter 9: We Can (Not) Comfort**

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**29 days post the fall of Troy**

_Fucking Kaminari. _

Shouto leaned back in the tub and ran his hand through his hair, pushing back the red strands. He had tried not to dwell on it, but Yaoyorozu's words from the night prior wouldn't leave him.

In truth, it wasn't surprising that Yaoyorozu's friend had been on the receiving end of a god's unwanted affections, but the fact that he had taken her was.

Gods were only allowed to bring mortals back to Mount Olympus if they intended to keep them as consorts. Which meant that the god had fallen in love with Yaoyorozu's friend, enough to marry her.

He tried to recall if he had heard of any of the gods taking a mortal as a wife but couldn't remember. After all, it seemed that besides starting wars, fucking humans was all they ever did.

Shouto's jaw twitched at the thought. He closed his eyes.

Yaoyorozu had never confirmed it was Kaminari who had stolen her friend, but regardless, it was clear that Kaminari had been sent to protect her. Shouto was sure of it. But then — why use him? Was he simply a convenient bodyguard? Or was there another motive behind the curse? It couldn't be that straightforward, could it?

He ground his teeth and opened his eyes to glare down at the water. The bath had become cold.

There had to be a reason Kaminari hadn't simply whisked Yaoyorozu away from the battle.

His stomach twisted faintly at the idea of the Erotes even thinking of touching her, but he pushed the feeling aside. He glanced at his weapon, Endeavor, leaning against the wall. Even without his godly powers, the Erotes was a decent enough fighter by himself. His sword, Chargebolt, had been given to him by Zeus and could release lightning-based attacks. He could have easily defeated the Athenians, but he hadn't.

Was he being controlled? Kaminari wasn't the smartest of gods, but even he wouldn't have done something so foolish as to curse Shouto on a whim. Would he?

Shouto sighed to himself. He had always considered himself intelligent enough, but the mystery surrounding this was making his head hurt. If only someone was here that he could talk to — that he trusted. Midoriya or even Bakugo might have been able to dissect what was going on.

He flexed his fingers and stood up.

Not that it mattered. None of _this_ mattered. He was still cursed for the time being.

Shouto scowled at the knowledge as he dried off. Pulling on his perizoma, he picked up Endeavor's sheath and grabbed his clean chiton, throwing it over his shoulder before walking out of the bathroom.

It was almost dark outside. The fiery reds and oranges of the setting sun shimmered off of the tiled floors and bathed the marble pillars of the house in golden hues. The day's oppressive heat had lifted somewhat, and a cool breeze flowed off the ocean.

The children laughed as they continued playing in the courtyard, getting their last bit of energy out before bed. A boy threw a pebble-sized bone into the air and proceeded to scoop up as many of the other bones as possible before catching the tossed one in a game of knucklebones.

Shouto watched the boys for a moment before a shift in the wind caught his attention. He raised his head and sniffed the air; his eyes narrowed. There were faint traces of magic in the wind. It wasn't as heavy and oppressing as the stymphalian's. So a god's.

A shiver ran down his spine. It felt like claws raking down his back. Shouto swallowed over the sour taste in his mouth and looked down at his hand. Ever since his fight with Dabi, he'd been crippled.

His vision in his left eye had been impaired. It was healing slowly, but if it was too bright or dark, he had a hard time making out his surroundings. However, the deepest cuts were the ones no one could see; he still couldn't use his magic. It was as if it had dried up. He had the memory of it, could still feel the sensation in his fingers, but anytime Shouto reached within himself to pull on his power, he felt hollow. It made him feel bare. Vulnerable.

His fingers spasmed, and his hand drifted to Endeavor's hilt. For the time being, all he could rely upon were his instincts and sword skills. His hand tightened on the hilt until his knuckles turned white.

It would have to do.

He was strong.

"Hey, mister!" A high-pitched voice interrupted his thoughts.

Shouto started and looked down. A young boy with dark marks around his eyes and sharp teeth shrunk back. The other children stopped their game of knucklebones to watch.

Shouto rolled his jaw and forced himself to relax. He hadn't meant to scare the kid. "What is it?"

The boy shifted. Tamashiro, if he remembered correctly. He was half tempted to ask the child to save his question for later, but this was the first time any of the children had addressed him unprompted.

The kid looked at his sword, then up at him and straightened. "You can fight, right?" the kid asked, lifting his chin. "Are you any good?"

A small boy with short black hair and gold horns scowled next to him. "Obviously not if he ended up here," he said, scoffing.

"I ain't asking you, Kota," Tamashiro snapped. Then he turned back to Shouto, and a small grin pulled at his mouth as he took a step forward. "Teach me! I want to learn to fight."

There was an audible pause, and then Kota stood up. "If you're learning, I want to too!"

It was like a flood gate had opened, as all the other boys began standing up and yelling over each other.

"Teach me!"

"Teach me too!"

"I want to kill a cyclops!"

Shouto stared at them in surprise as the boys surrounded him.

He didn't know what to say. He had never dealt with children before. But he couldn't think of a reason not to teach them. They'd eventually have to fight one day, whether they wanted to or not; the life of a half-breed was dangerous. They'd never be fully accepted by the gods or humans. The only way they'd survive was by relying on their own strength.

The smell of the god's magic hardened his resolve. Shouto curled his hand into a fist.

The strong live, the weak die.

Shouto nodded faintly. "Okay."

The children shouted in triumph and began shooting off questions at him. He shifted awkwardly under the sudden attention. He really wasn't good at this.

There was the click of sandals on tile.

"Everyone!" The familiar voice pulled at him. "It's time to get ready for bed."

The boys had vanished before the speaker had even finished her sentence. Shouto turned to look down the hallway and tried to suppress the feeling of his stomach flipping as Yaoyorozu drew closer.

It was the curse, he reminded himself for the hundredth time, even as he felt the tension in his neck and shoulders begin to relax.

"Oh, Todoroki?" Yaoyorozu said, then paused; her eyes grew wide. She dropped her gaze, then looked back up at his face and away again. Her face appeared flushed, and something inside of him reveled in the tinge of red that was spreading across her cheeks.

He straightened, smothering the urge to smirk, as Yaoyorozu shifted.

"Are - Are you done bathing," she asked, her voice slightly higher. The curse pulsed in his veins. She pushed her bangs behind her ear without looking at him. "Aizawa said to come meet him when you are."

"Hmm," Shouto said. He could feel his heartbeat quicken as he watched Yaoyorozu nervously bite her bottom lip. He stepped toward her unconsciously.

Her eyes seemed to grow impossibly wide; her pupils were dark. She stepped back slightly, and he followed her. Her hand curled in front of her mouth. She still wouldn't look him in the eyes, and he couldn't suppress the part of him that wanted to see what she'd do if he cornered her. Would she look at him then?

He wanted her to look at him.

Movement behind her snapped Shouto back to awareness as Tokoyami appeared out of one of the side rooms. He looked at Shouto, and his eyes narrowed in suspicion, then glanced back at Yaoyorozu. She jerked and abruptly dropped her gaze to the ground, her hands twisting together in front of her.

Tokoyami turned back to Shouto; his stare was hard. And if he could read Tokoyami's bird-like features, he'd say he looked furious.

Shouto felt the urge to scowl. His fingers twitched and tightened unconsciously on his sword's hilt as he looked back at Tokoyami and met his cold glare.

There was a long silence.

"Oh good, Todoroki," Asui's croaking voice suddenly interrupted, cutting through the tension as she stepped out from behind Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami. "Aizawa was looking for you, kero."

Shouto breathed deeply to calm himself before schooling his face into what he hoped was a neutral expression. "What is it? Did something happen?" he asked Asui.

She shook her head. "Good news, actually," she said. Her tongue stuck out slightly from the side of her mouth. "There's an aurai here if you wanted to send your message, kero."

That explained the smell from earlier.

"Send a message?" Yaoyorozu asked, her eyebrows drawing together as she looked up at him. Her face was still slightly red, but her eyes didn't flicker from his face as they had earlier. "To whom?"

Shouto glanced at her. "I'm sending a message back home. To Sparta."

"And you're using an aurai to do so?"

"Out here, the only way to contact anyone is to ask a favor from a minor god or one of the nymphs of the sky to carry it for you, kero," Asui explained.

"Oh, I see," Yaoyorozu said slowly.

Shouto stared at her for a moment before turning back to the nereid. "And you're sure this aurai can be trusted?" Shouto asked skeptically.

"Kero." Asui pressed her finger to her chin. "Hado Nejire has helped Aizawa with small tasks before. It shouldn't be a problem for her to bring your message back to Sparta."

In truth, he hated dealing with aurai — they were airheaded and generally unreliable, not to mention taxing to deal with. Out of all the nymphs, the aurai were the most energetic and nosy. Two characteristics Shouto hated. But, he didn't have much of a choice if he wanted to contact Midoriya.

He sighed to himself. "Where can I find her?"

"She's out front right now." Asui paused and looked him up and down. "And you should put on your chiton, kero," she added, her slightly croaking voice teasing.

Shouto raised a brow questioningly, but Asui just smiled up at him, pressing her index finger to her lips as if she was letting him in on some sort of secret that he wasn't understanding. Shouto didn't dwell on it as he slipped on his clothes before going to find Aizawa and the aurai. As he passed, he glanced back at Yaoyorozu, but Tokoyami stepped in front of her. His eyes were narrowed in disdain.

Shouto's hands curled into fists at his sides, but he forced himself to keep moving. He couldn't miss this chance.

He stepped out into the fading sunlight. The smell of magic abruptly intensified. It smelled sweet and fresh, like myrtle, and he looked up. Aizawa was standing by the statue of Hephaestus, talking to a woman who was floating in the air. She had long flowing hair that fell past her knees and gleamed lilac in the fading sunlight.

Shouto moved closer.

"They said they're on their way," the woman said with a giggle.

He could see Aizawa nod. "Good."

The woman looked up, spotting him. Her eyes went wide, and she hurried closer until her face was centimeters from his. "Oh! Who are you? You're so handsome. But that scar!" she said, circling him with child-like curiosity.

Shouto scowled and threw her a sharp look that she ignored.

"Todoroki," Aizawa said, turning. "This is Hado Nejire."

"Hello! Hello!"

Shouto nodded stiffly in greeting.

"Nejire can take the message for you," Aizawa said, his voice dull.

The woman twirled in the air, unperturbed. "Of course! Leave it to me," she said, giving him a mock salute.

Shouto sighed to himself, the sound barely audible. He hated dealing with aurais. He rolled his jaw and looked back at the sky nymph. "I need you to deliver a message to Midoriya, one of the princes of Sparta."

Nejire nodded eagerly.

Shouto paused. The aurai had poor memories, so it wasn't likely that she'd remember anything complicated. "Tell him that I'm okay and heading home. If everything goes as expected, I should be home before winter."

He paused, his eyes sliding to the side to look discreetly at Aizawa. Shouto didn't want to let the old man know more than he needed to, but the sinking feeling in his stomach said that Aizawa already knew.

The older man was far too smart for Shouto's liking.

He brought his hand to rest upon Endeavor's hilt as his gaze flickered back to the aurai. "And ask him how much he knows about Kaminari and his powers."

"Kaminari?" Nejire asked, blinking in surprise. "Hmm. I don't get it." She tapped her lip with her pointer finger. Then she smiled at him.

"But okay!" she said gleefully, almost bouncing. "Anything else?"

"No." His tone was clipped.

"Okay! I'll be off then!" She spun and gave Aizawa another mock salute. "Bye bye!" she half-sang as her body shimmered and then disappeared with a soft pop.

Shouto watched the space where the nymph had been for a moment longer before turning towards Aizawa.

The older man was staring at him, his expression closed but eyes calculating. Shouto stiffened. It felt like a lump of dread had formed in his throat. If it wasn't clear how much Aizawa knew before, it was now. He swallowed hard.

"I'm taking Asui and Tokoyami for the first watch. You and Yaoyorozu have the second shift," Aizawa said, abruptly changing the topic.

Shouto felt his shoulders relax slightly, and he nodded. "Something has changed." There was an unspoken question in his tone.

Aizawa looked out towards the ocean. "Nothing for now," he said at length. "But, I have a bad feeling. Ever since you all arrived, the stymphalian have been acting strangely. They've only been sending the omegas and gammas of their flock to attack. It doesn't make sense. It's almost like they are waiting for something, but I don't know what."

"Do you think they are testing us?"

"Possibly." Aizawa tilted his head back, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "They could be wary and trying to determine how strong you three are."

"Perhaps," Shouto agreed as he turned to look fully at him. "It hasn't always been like this, has it?"

Aizawa didn't look at him, and Shouto's eyes narrowed. "What's changed?"

Aizawa didn't say anything.

Shouto studied him silently. He debated pushing Aizawa for more information. The older man was entirely too secretive for his liking, but Shouto knew he wouldn't say anything unless he wanted to.

He scowled. Shouto hated people like Aizawa. He couldn't read the older man at all. He was better with straightforward people like Bakugo. At least he always knew where he stood and what Bakugo wanted.

Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention as Asui and Tokoyami emerged from the house.

"We're heading out." Aizawa looked back at him, breaking the silence. "Do a full sweep of the grounds. We need to be extra vigilant until we figure out what is going on."

Shouto nodded and watched the three disappear over the ridge before he turned to go check the perimeter of the house.

* * *

It was getting late, and the moon was shining brightly by the time Shouto finished checking the grounds. There had been faint traces of something in the bushes surrounding the house.

Someone had been watching them.

Yet, it was too dark for him to be able to track down whatever it was until morning. He'd have to bring it up to Aizawa when he returned.

Shouto's jaw twitched as he returned to the house. The place was silent. Yaoyorozu must have retired after putting the children to bed.

It would be another four or five hours until Aizawa and the others returned. He might as well try to sleep as well. The night prior, he had only slept for two hours before he became restless. And the night before that, Shouto slept even less.

He made his way towards the courtyard and paused.

Yaoyorozu was standing under the veranda. The moonlight caught in her dark hair and cast her profile in silver. She was staring up at the cloudless night sky.

She looked ethereal, and Shouto could feel his heartbeat stutter as he gazed at her silently for several seconds before stepping out of the house. "Yaoyorozu."

She jerked and whirled around to look at him. "Todoroki!" she gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. "You scared me."

Shouto's steps faltered, and he brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck. "Sorry."

Yaoyorozu shook her head, her posture relaxing. "It's okay." She gave him a small, forced smile. "I was just startled. I didn't hear you approach. Were you able to send your message?"

"Mhm," Shouto hummed as he moved closer. His fingertips ran over Endeavor absently, before resting his hand fully on the sword's hilt. "I asked her to deliver a message to Prince Midoriya. To let him know we're alive, and we'll be coming home soon."

The corners of her mouth twitched. "I see." She looked down and grew quiet.

His eyes narrowed as he studied her profile. There was something off about her tonight. Shouto hadn't noticed it earlier, so whatever had happened must have occurred while he had been out. He wondered if she'd tell him if he asked.

Probably not.

He sighed to himself. "Go get some sleep. You didn't sleep well last night."

She shook her head faintly. "I'm fine, but I could say the same for you." She looked up and met his eyes. "You and Aizawa get the least amount of sleep out of all of us. You should be careful and watch your health."

He scoffed silently. "I'm fine. There were worse nights during the war."

It was a half-truth.

Yaoyorozu didn't say anything. He looked away as they lapsed into silence for several moments before he glanced back at her. Yaoyorozu was staring blankly out at the courtyard. He watched as her lips thinned, and she wrapped her arms over her stomach. His fingers twitched. "What are you thinking about?"

She was silent for several seconds. "Many things," she finally said.

His hand tightened on Endeavor's hilt when she didn't say anything else. It had been a long time since he'd dealt with a woman's feelings, but he vividly remembered that anytime Fuyumi refused to tell him what she was thinking, it meant something was wrong.

"Todoroki." He looked up. "Would you tell me what Sparta's like?" she abruptly asked.

Shouto's mouth went dry, and he stood still trying to remember. "I don't know," he said hesitantly. He looked away. His voice was stiff. "I haven't been there in over ten years — probably looks like any other city. Nothing special."

"I see."

Shouto glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She looked almost sad as she continued to stare out across the courtyard. Her onyx eyes flat.

Was she grieving? Remembering Troy and all those she had lost? Shouto swallowed hard. He had his own memories of the war. Of the people he had killed, those who had died honorable deaths of a warrior and those who had been too young to deserve to meet Thanatos.

He rolled his jaw. He didn't know how telling her about Sparta would help, but Shouto didn't like seeing Yaoyorozu like this. He didn't want her to suffer. The war wasn't hers to bear.

He searched his mind for something to give her.

"It's pretty," he began slowly. "The city is made of marble and limestone. And the pastures are rich, and the forests are filled with game, so we never go hungry. It… has its problems, but Midoriya and Bakugo, the princes, are trying to change things to make life better."

Yaoyorozu looked at him. Her eyes studied his face as if searching for something. "And your family?"

"I've lived with my sister ever since Ares took me away from my mother when I was around six or seven."

Her expression grew pained, and she dropped her gaze back to the floor. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," he said gruffly. "I'm used to it being just her and me."

Yaoyorozu swallowed. Her hands tightened around her stomach. "And your slaves? How many other slaves do you have?"

"Just you."

"And Tokoyami."

"No, just you."

Yaoyorozu's head snapped up, and her eyes widened as she stared at him.

"Why? What's wrong?" He lifted his hand off his sword as if he were reaching to touch her. His chest tightened.

She glanced away, and he let his hand drop. "It's nothing."

Shouto frowned. "Did I say something?"

She shook her head faintly. "No. I just - I just don't know where I fit in anymore."

"What do you mean?" he asked, studying her.

"I…" Yaoyorozu dipped her head so that her bangs fell in front of her face, obscuring her expression. "Nevermind," she said quietly.

Shouto's eyes narrowed. "What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"

She shook her head again. "It's not like that...I'm just...I'm thinking too much." She curled a piece of black hair around her fingertip. "I'm just not used to this..."

Yaoyorozu swallowed and took a shaky breath before continuing. "Back at the temple, I'd always be working. I had my job, and I knew what was expected of me, but these days...I...I just don't know where I fit in anymore. I have too many thoughts, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do..." she choked, and her voice trailed off.

Shouto swallowed hard as Yaoyorozu's words hung in the silence. It felt like his heart was beating in his throat. He had never expected to feel as though he could relate to another so well, least of all, to Yaoyorozu. But, she was voicing the sickening feeling that had been swirling in the pit of his stomach for weeks. The war had stolen his youth. And now it was over, leaving him a warrior, a soldier, but without a purpose besides returning home.

His fingers twitched. He had never considered that Yaoyorozu could feel the same sense of helplessness as he did. Shouto's fingers curled into tight fists. "You were a healer, right? Back at the temple."

She nodded.

"Why don't you ask Aizawa if you can help him then?"

She looked up. "Are you really okay with that?" she asked suspiciously.

Shouto tilted his head. "Why wouldn't I be?"

She dropped the piece of hair and looked away, folding her hands in front of her. "Is it really okay for a slave to learn those types of things?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Shouto felt his stomach twist. He turned to fully face her and took a step closer. "I'm not the best with words. I've always felt that actions are what matter." Her eyes darted up to his face, and Shouto swallowed. "So, I know my words probably won't make you feel better, but, even so, I'll just say that I don't want you to feel like you have to suffer by yourself. If - if there is anything I can do to help, I want you to let me know."

Yaoyorozu's eyes widened as he brought his right hand up. His fingers, unfurling and half-hesitant, wavered for a moment before he brushed her loose hair behind her ear. "I don't want you to feel like you have to forget who you want to become just because you're with me."

She gasped softly. His fingers lingered on her face for a moment, and then his hand slipped under her chin to cup her jaw, lifting her head up.

"Yaoyorozu." Her name rolled off his tongue. He felt her pulse jump underneath his thumb. It sent a rush of excitement through him. "I want you to be able to rely on me. I want to take care of you."

She sucked in a breath but didn't say anything. Her eyes were dark, almost pitch black. He could feel her warm breath on his face. Her tongue flicked out to wet her lips, and he felt his heartbeat speed up.

Slowly, Shouto leaned down. Yaoyorozu was still underneath him, and his lips skimmed over hers.

"You're mine. Let me care of you," he whispered as he kissed her.

* * *

Ahh! So they finally kissed again! I was really thinking of making us all suffer longer, but I was itching for a little romance. And since the chapter is a little slow otherwise, I hope you all liked it. :P

Notes:

Aurai - nymphs of cool breezes.

Erotes - The Erotes are a collective of winged gods associated with love and sexual intercourse in Greek mythology. Kaminari is one of the Erotes.

Hephaestus - was the god of fire, metalworking, stone masonry, forges and the art of sculpture. He was also the patron of cripples and outcasts.

Knucklebones - a game similar to jacks or fivestones, but played with the ankle-bones of goats or sheep.

Perizoma - A loincloth

Thanatos - Thanatos, in ancient Greek religion and mythology, the personification of death.


	10. Chapter 10: We Can (Not) Return

Sorry everyone. Obviously, I'm not very good with sticking to a posting schedule. Lol. Anyways, I was a mod on the TodoMomo Mini Bang. Which if you haven't checked out, definitely do. Here's the link: Anyways, I was a mod so that had been sucking up a lot of time. It wrapped up Monday, July 13th so my posting schedule should return to semi-normal now.

**Big thanks as usual to my betas:** C's Melody and FlourChildWrites and 666-HyuugaNeji-999. Couldn't do it without you three! Thank you :D

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I love you all!**

**The Impossible Muffin** \- Ekk! Thanks for the spot! Even with betas some things get missed. Thank you for being understanding. :D

**mihairu7** \- Oh my gosh! I'm crying, your review seriously gives me life! THANK YOU!

I've never seen Toradora but you're so right. Todo and Momo are slowly (very slowly) falling in love, but are both too stubborn to even recognize it. Which, to be fair isn't entirely their fault. Todo thinks any feelings related to Momo are driven by the arrow's curse. His words of encouragement at the end of this chapter were the first time that he felt like himself when interacting with her, because at the end of the day, those are his true feelings. He hates slavery and, if it wasn't for the curse, would have freed Momo a long time ago. Of course, the curse does rear its ugly head at the end and he kisses her, but unlike last time (in ch 2) there had been some of his own feelings behind his actions - even if he doesn't recognize it. On the other side, Momo has been scared for her and Tokoyami's safety for the last 7-8 chapters (1 month in the timeline). Her gut is telling her that Todoroki isn't going to hurt her, but everything she knows about men and hearing Tokoyami's warnings, makes her doubt her own instincts. To add to that, Momo isn't used to having significant people in her life. Whether for justified reasons or not, she feels she been abandoned by everyone she knows and has built up a wall around her heart so that she won't be hurt. And now that Tokoyami is getting increasingly exasperated with her (who wouldn't?) she is feeling really insecure. So when she half confides her thoughts to Todoroki and fishes for answers to some of her worries she is unconsciously opening her heart up to him, if only a little. We will have to see, how she takes this development though. Tehehe

Hahaha, yep, trying to keep it PG-13 on the romance side...but we will see which way the TodoMomo fire spreads. Haha.

Eee! I'm so glad you like my introduction of Neijire! I wasn't planning for her, but she fit so, so well so couldn't resist adding her in. 😊 Also, in terms of how others character come across, its all how Todo or Momo (dependent on the chapter) see the person - aka it may not always be the truth.

LOL! THAT'S IT! You guessed the story! They are getting married in the next chapter and that's it!

OMG! I can't tell you how much we authors appreciate reviewers (especially those who take the time to leave long reviews)! It means SO SO SO much to us to hear readers thoughts. I cry in excitement every time I get a review.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read and leave such a detailed review!

P.S. Thank you also for the correction. It's been edited and updated.

**fencer29** \- LOL! That is so true. The whole Greek mythology is about gods messing with humans.

It may not be that bad... We'll see. Haha. The chapter is told in Shouto's pov so depending on how he sees people is how they come across so she may not be as air headed as Shouto thinks. He's just moody and doesn't like people butting into his business.

Thank you for continuing with this story and for always taking the time to review. :D

**KeroKeroNyao** – Hahaha. I'm glad you liked Todo in a loincloth! I thought it would be pretty funny. Greeks had a different view on modesty, and most men would do a lot of athletics naked so Todo isn't as aware of how an almost naked man – who looks like a god – could make a woman's heart rate sped up.

You have some very, very good observations there about Todo's warrior instincts of grabbing Endeavor every time he is angry and also about the twitches and what that could mean for his mental state. :)

And I'm so glad you liked that ending scene! It was the first time TodoMomo had a heart to heart. There still is a lot that needs to happen before they can really fall in love but that scene was the ground work for their future development. '

Thank you so, so much for the kind review!

**snowflake100** \- Ahhh thank you so much! It makes me so happy to know that you are enjoying this. Thank you for taking the time to read and review!

**Nap-Tyme** – EEE! Thank you! I'm so happy you liked that scene! And sorry, no boat or temple baby…they could adopt though. Haha. Thank you so, so much for always leaving such kind reviews!

Now, onto the next chapter! (Please don't hate me!)

* * *

**Chapter 10: We Can (Not) Return**

* * *

"Yaoyorozu." Her name rolled off his tongue. He felt her pulse jump underneath his thumb. It sent a rush of excitement through him. "I want you to be able to rely on me. I want to take care of you."

She sucked in a breath but didn't say anything. Her eyes were dark, almost pitch black. He could feel her warm breath on his face. Her tongue flicked out to wet her lips, and he felt his heartbeat speed up.

Slowly, Shouto leaned down. Yaoyorozu was still underneath him, and his lips skimmed over hers. "You're mine. Let me care for you," he whispered as he kissed her.

* * *

Momo's breath caught in her throat, and her eyes widened as his lips brushed against hers — soft, gentle. He kissed her like he really did care for her, as if he meant what he said.

_'You hold some significance to him.'_

Momo's toes curled. Warmth spread within her stomach. She closed her eyes as his fingers cupped her jaw, lifting her head to deepen the kiss.

It felt nice. It wasn't supposed to feel nice, but it did.

Her heart was pounding in her chest. Her hands twitched, and she lifted them hesitantly, unsure what to do with them or whether she wanted to pull him closer or push him away.

Momo hadn't realized that she could be affected like this.

Affected by _him_.

He was a Spartan. An enemy of Troy. He had helped burn her city to the ground, loot their temples, enslave her people. And yet, he had been nothing but civil — if not even decent — to her and Tokoyami.

He treated them like people. He answered her questions. He never raised his voice at her or hit her. He talked to her. A moment before, he had even been trying to make her feel better.

Was he really as bad as Tokoyami said?

Todoroki's mouth moved against hers for a moment longer before he pulled back, and he looked down at her. His red and white bangs brushed against her forehead, and she could feel the warmth of his breath against her lips. His expression was softer than Momo had ever seen, and it made her heart ache painfully.

Could he really care for her?

_'He's only acting kind to make you compliant.'_

That's right. There was no way he could like her in any significant way. They hardly knew each other. She trembled, her stomach clenching painfully as another unwanted thought came to her.

_'Don't forget. He only sees us as tools. To him, significance equates to 'value,' and a person only has value when they are useful for his purposes.'_

"You're lying."

It was a whisper against his lips.

Todoroki's expression instantly shuttered. He withdrew his hand and took a step back.

The warm night air suddenly felt chilled.

Momo froze, and her eyes widened as, with dawning horror, she remembered her station in their contract. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth as her mind registered what she had just said out loud. She had sold herself to Todoroki, she wasn't supposed to defy him.

She had to make this right.

She felt sick. "Todoroki! I –"

"I don't lie," he cut her off. His expression was frigid; Momo could see his jaw clench. "I don't need to. If I say something, it's my word."

Momo stepped back as he stared at her. His eyes were cold. She tried to swallow over a tight throat but couldn't. Her stomach twisted so painfully she thought she'd throw up. He was her master. What slave spoke like that to the person who owned them?

She had no idea where this rebellious side of her had come from. It seemed that whenever she was with him, all she ever did was challenge him. She was never like this at the temple. Where had this sudden bout of stupidity come from?

She stumbled backwards. Then, before she could process her actions, she was running. If he called after her, cursed at her, Momo had no idea. She bolted up the stairs and down the hallway to her room. Her heart was pounding so ferociously in her chest, it wouldn't have been surprising if it completely stopped.

She shut the door and collapsed onto the floor, shaking with terror.

Stupid. So stupid, Momo berated herself as she tried to listen for Todoroki's footsteps following her. But it was impossible to hear anything over her racing heart. Momo's fingers trembled against her legs.

What had she been thinking? After all the countless times that Tokoyami had warned her to stay away from Todoroki, told her that he was cunning and dangerous, she had gone and walked right into his arms, like a fly into a spider's web.

All it took was a few kind words to sway her.

Momo slumped further against the door and dropped her face into the crook of her elbow. She was a fool.

Her parents had given her to the wrong god. They should have given her to Koalemos, the god of stupidity and foolishness, not Apollo. At least there she would have fit in.

If it wasn't the middle of the night she'd scream.

Momo buried her face in her hands. It hadn't even been more than a few hours since Tokoyami had reminded her to stay away from Todoroki.

Dangerous. Manipulative. Cunning. That was how Tokoyami had described Todoroki as he reprimanded her for blushing and acting weak in front of the Spartan earlier in the evening. He'd also said that he was done warning her to be careful. It was up to her to monitor her own actions from now on – and look where that had gotten her...

Momo pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes. Perhaps, if she hadn't been feeling useless and upset over Tokoyami acting like she was incapable of accurately judging a person's character herself, she would have made a wiser decision than to stand there like a fool and let Todoroki kiss her.

She groaned. The worst part of it all was that part of her had liked it. The kiss had been so different from their first one. It had made her heart beat faster, and warmth to flow through her. And part of her mind had even wondered what it would be like to kiss him back.

She felt her face warm, and pushed the thought away furiously.

_Be who she wanted to be?_ Momo scoffed. What Todoroki had offered her was too ideal. No man would ever offer his wife — much less his slave — such liberties. And she had almost believed him too. Her stomach rolled.

The only positive that had come out of the whole encounter was that now she had finally realized that Tokoyami was right; Aphrodite had clearly clouded her vision and weakened her heart.

Momo sighed, and dropped her head back onto her knees. She needed to come up with a plan, an operation to prove to herself that these feelings beginning to grow in her chest for her master were a weed, not a flower.

She stood up, and made her way to her bed. Her recent bout of terror and anxiety had left her exhausted. She crawled onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling.

Thinking about it realistically, even if she didn't do anything, Todoroki would likely reveal his true nature sooner rather than later anyway.

Men hated being challenged. Even now, Todoroki was probably thinking of ways to get back at her, contemplating the best ways to punish her for her disobedience.

Honestly, she made the most impertinent, opinionated slave. Couldn't she have just kept her thoughts to herself?

Momo closed her eyes and draped her arm over her face. Worst case scenario, Todoroki would renege on his promise to free Tokoyami. Before that could happen, she needed to appease him. She had nothing left to trade, she had already given herself to Todoroki as a slave to be allowed to heal Tokoyami, all she could do now was apologize and pray to Clementia that he'd accept that.

Momo turned on her side and curled into a ball. She felt sick. Her head was throbbing. She closed her eyes and lay there trying to think of ways to properly apologize to Todoroki as she waited for someone to come get her for her shift.

No one ever came and she fell asleep.

* * *

**43 days post the fall of Troy**

Momo had never been known for her ability to hide her emotions, so it wasn't a complete surprise when Tokoyami had guessed something had happened between her and Todoroki. However, his decision to confront Todoroki over his presumed assumptions had been too much for Momo to bear. She had cracked, telling him about the kiss and her subsequent insubordination to Todoroki.

Tokoyami had been furious at her, as she had expected. Even after she had apologized, he'd barely spoken to her for days, and had almost completely withdrawn from her.

Now he only spent his time with Asui, helping her around the house or going with her on patrols. The few times they did speak alone, he had only grown exasperated with her.

Momo's lips thinned as she pulled on gloves before picking up a stone mallet and pestle full of dark purple berries. Carefully, she began grinding the berries into a paste.

She had always seen Tokoyami as an older brother — her only family. And she reasoned it was normal for families to fight, but with his pointed comments, Momo had to wonder if he had lost all faith in her.

She pressed the mallet into the pestle harder.

The feeling of their relationship stretching like a thread sat heavy on her consciousness and it made her angry at him, and at herself. She knew she shouldn't have let Todoroki kiss her, but it wasn't like she had done anything wrong, and she had apologized. Tokoyami just didn't believe her.

Another thing for her to fix.

Momo paused and brushed her nose with the back of her wrist. "It smells sweet."

"Sweet but highly lethal," Shouta Aizawa replied in a bland tone. He walked over to the shelves lining the back wall of the small medicine room, and pulled a clay jar from the top. "Two berries have enough potency to kill a child. Four or five will cause paralysis and death in a healthy adult."

Momo shivered faintly as she continued to grind the dark, purple berries into a paste.

The windowless room had been transformed into a medicinal stockroom. Shelves lined the walls, packed with pots and tinctures of varying sizes. Bronze tripods had been set up in the corners, providing light. And in the center of the room was a single, wooden table, but no chairs. Aizawa had said that one should never be comfortable when dealing with life and death.

It had been a little over two weeks since Todoroki had kissed her, and she still hadn't apologized to him. She had planned to ask for forgiveness on one of their nightly patrols, but he had been going by himself.

It was somewhat disconcerting. He wasn't acting like she'd expected at all. He hadn't yelled or hit her. If anything he acted like she barely existed. Her heart panged every time she thought about it.

She was being ignored on all fronts.

The extra time added to her schedule — which should have been a blessing and allowed her more sleep — had, in fact, done the complete opposite. With her and Tokoyami's friendship strained, Momo found her dreams growing steadily worse. More violent. More terrifying.

Then, a few days ago, everything had struck her. All her emotions: her anxiety, frustration, stress and the uncertainty over the last month had hit her, and she had ended up approaching Aizawa, begging him to teach her how to brew his various elixirs.

The head of the orphanage was meticulous and, in many ways, unforgiving, but he was a good teacher. And the attention and precision he required of her was a welcome distraction from the restlessness that had settled over her.

Aizawa moved back to her side and handed her the jar.

Momo glanced at the front. The face was intricately painted with purple, bell-shaped flowers with green tinges.

"If they're so dangerous, why do you keep this?" she asked, as she carefully began to use the pestle to funnel the smashed berries into the jar.

"Like any plant, it has multiple uses," he said, looking down at her. "On spears and knives, it is effective to ward off the stymphalian. But, if heavily diluted, a little can alleviate coughs and colds. Or it can even help with pain if spread on a wound."

Momo nodded, pressing her lips together as she twisted the top of the jar shut. She moved past Aizawa to the shelves. Pushing herself up onto her toes, she carefully placed the jar on the top shelf to ferment.

Four other painted vessels were nestled on the ledge. Momo paused for a moment and let her fingers skim over the illustration on another. It was a detailed depiction of a stymphalian with its wings outstretched. "These are beautiful," she whispered in awe. "Did you paint all of these yourself?" she asked louder, looking over her shoulder.

"Out of necessity," he said dismissively. "A surgeon must always be prepared. One slip up and I'd be sending my patients into the afterlife. The paintings are so I can tell the elixirs apart at a glance."

Momo nodded and looked back at the jars. "I haven't seen many of these before."

"You probably wouldn't. The others are ricinus, hemlock, oleander, and stymphalian poison."

Momo studied the designs for a moment, and then dropped down from her toes. The lower shelves were packed with evenly sized tinctures of medicine made from Eri's power. There was enough to heal twenty to thirty people. Far more injuries than any of them had sustained in the last month.

She picked one up and studied the shimmering, silver liquid. "And what do you do with all of these? You don't use them all for fighting the stymphalian, do you?"

"I sell them."

Momo raised an eyebrow. "Where? In the city?"

Aizawa stared at her. His face was impassive. "No," he said after a moment. "To pirates."

Momo felt her blood run cold. She looked up sharply and stared at Aizawa. "Pirates?"

"An old friend," Aizawa clarified dismissively, leaning against the table. "Her crew should be arriving in the next week or so with more supplies."

Momo put the vial back on the shelf and turned to fully face him. "Is that really a good idea?" she asked skeptically. "Do they even know about the children? How do you know if you can trust them?"

Aizawa leaned his head back and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. Momo closed her mouth and swallowed her other thoughts; she had learned throughout her stay that he had little patience for multiple questions.

"The captain has been an ally to us for a long time," he said after a pause. "We barter the medicine I make in exchange for vegetables and other supplies we can't get here."

Her lips thinned. It seemed careless to be dealing with pirates, but Momo knew Aizawa was anything but careless.

Realization struck her, and she looked up sharply. "That's why we haven't gone on the offensive yet, isn't it?" she asked in disbelief. "We've been waiting for them to arrive and help fight."

Aizawa dropped his hand and looked back at her.

Momo continued doggedly. "When we met Asui at sea... It seemed like a coincidence that she found us, but it wasn't, was it? She hadn't been looking for survivors of a shipwreck, at least not our shipwreck. She was looking for them — the pirates."

"Yes," Azawai said. "I instructed Asui to find Emi Fukukado and her crew. But instead, she brought you all back. A coincidence that turned out to be favorable."

Momo's stomach dropped. Her lip twitched, and she swallowed thickly. It shouldn't have been surprising, but somehow Aizawa's confirmation of her thoughts felt like a betrayal, as if he had orchestrated the whole encounter.

She shook her head and opened her mouth to ask her next question.

"Anyway, enough discussion for now," he said sternly, cutting her off and closing the subject. Aizawa straightened. "We'll continue making the potion after it's had enough time to ferment," he said, waving his hand towards the wall. "For now, go help Asui with lunch. I have more work to do."

Momo nodded slowly as Aizawa dismissed her.

Her chest felt tight as she pulled off her gloves and left Aizawa's medical room. It had always been a mystery where Aizawa got his supplies. She had assumed that Asui had picked them up, but to rely on pirates seemed strange. It begged the question: did the pirates even know about the stymphalian?

Normal humans wouldn't set foot on the island because of the stymphalian, but these pirates had, and from the way Aizawa had spoken, this wasn't their first visit.

Was the situation not what she had originally thought? What was Aizawa not saying?

Momo shook her head. Standing in the middle of the hallway wouldn't help her solve anything. She needed to think about it later. Perhaps she'd try to talk to Tokoyami. Her heart sank at the thought, knowing he'd most likely dismiss her concerns.

Still, she couldn't let that stop her.

Her mind made up, Momo forced away the uneasiness in her limbs, and went to look for Asui, knowing that Tokoyami would be there too.

She found them in the kitchen, heads leaned close together as they whispered to one another. Momo stilled.

Asui looked up. "Momo," she said, taking a step back from Tokoyami.

"I'm sorry," Momo apologized. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

Asui shook her head. "You didn't interrupt, kero." She wiped off her hands on a towel and picked up a tray. "I was just about to go put this in the oven. If you're done with Aizawa, would you mind helping Tokoyami cut some vegetables, kero?" she asked.

Momo hummed in agreement as the nereid slipped out of the door.

Once she had left, Momo stared at the back of Tokoyami's head for a moment as he continued working.

The room suddenly felt uncomfortable. Momo brought her right hand up to grasp her opposite arm. "I need to talk to you," she finally said.

Tokoyami looked up and his eyes flashed. "Is it about the Spartan again?" he asked slowly, his voice tight.

Momo's stomach curled and she frowned. "No, it's not," she forced the words out. Her fingers dug into her arm. "But I said I was sorry, and I'm not talking to him, so I don't know why you're still angry."

"I'm not angry." Tokoyami placed his knife down and turned towards her. "I'm frustrated and exasperated, yes. But not angry."

He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. There was a righteous anger in his yellow-bird-like eyes that made Momo's throat tighten. "You had promised me three times that you were going to be careful around him, and that's not even counting when you sold yourself to him." His voice was flat and matter-of-fact, and she flinched at the words. "If you aren't going to listen to me then I don't want to talk about your feelings or supposed lack of feelings for him. You are a grown woman and you can decide who to trust yourself. Anyway — " He waved his hand dismissively, and his eyes flickered as he changed the topic abruptly. "Let's not get into this argument right now. What is it you wished to speak about?"

Momo swallowed. She felt anger clench in her chest almost painfully. She wanted to scream. He always did this. He was passing the blame off to her. Making it seem like _she_ was the unreasonable one. Her stomach felt tight and she dropped her arms to her side to ball her hands into fists.

She loved Tokoyami, but she could never win. No matter the argument, he always had to be right. And the problem was he was a better debater and more stubborn than her.

Momo ground her teeth in frustration, and set her jaw. She hadn't come here to argue, she reminded herself. Momo drew in a deep breath. "I don't think Aizawa — and maybe even Asui — are telling us the whole truth about what is happening here," she said slowly.

Tokoyami's eyes narrowed slightly, and Momo continued. "I mean, it's been a month since we arrived, and he still hasn't divulged what the plan is. And then, just now, Aizawa told me that pirates will be coming to the island. Why wouldn't he have said anything? And the way he spoke makes it seem that they have been coming here for awhile. But normal people would never step foot on this island, so do they even know about the dangers? Plus, have you ever wondered about this house? How did Aizawa build this all by himself?"

"You're overthinking, Yaoyorozu," Tokoyami interrupted with a sigh. "Aizawa and Asui have been nothing but good to us since we've arrived. And I've spoken to Asui. A dark guilt hangs above her head for tricking us that first time. I don't think she'd willingly hide details again, unless it was for a good cause. Besides, if they were using us, Asui wouldn't have offered for us to stay here once the mission is done."

Momo blinked, taken aback by the sudden turn of the conversation. "Stay here?" Somehow, she'd never entertained that as an option.

"Yes," Tokoyami nodded and uncrossed his arms, taking a step closer to her. "We can make a life here, away from the darkness of war and discrimination. We can finally be free." His words were full of hope.

"But...but how do we know we can trust them?"

Tokoyami's yellow, bird-like eyes flashed, and he jutted out his beak defensively. "You trust that Spartan more than Aizawa and Asui?"

Momo shifted. Her hands shook. Tokoyami was the one who was always saying to be careful around Todoroki, but now it was suddenly okay to trust Aizawa and Asui? He was a hypocrite. "That's not what I meant…"

"You don't need to feel tied to Todoroki just because you agreed to sell yourself to him," Tokoyami snapped.

Momo flinched.

"You've always been like this." His voice rose. "You act like the world is your responsibility. Did you already forget how awful the priestesses were to you at the temple? How they only acted like your friends when they needed something or were scared of me?"

Momo didn't answer. His words hurt.

Tokoyami exhaled through his nose. "That Spartan is no different. He doesn't see you as human. And the way he looks at you...I don't know. It's unsettling. We need to get away from him as soon as possible. Besides, what's he going to do to stop us if we decide to leave?"

Momo looked away. "I don't know," she said quietly. She brought her hand up to clench over her chest. She suddenly felt very, very alone.

"Stop."

Momo looked up sharply. Tokoyami was staring at her, his eyes hard. "The war is over," he said. "We survived. And now we're free of the dark. We can start fresh. You don't have to be tied to him," he repeated. His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Her shoulders pulled inward slightly. She didn't want to fight again. They were always fighting these days. Couldn't they just go back to normal?

"Okay, I'm sorry. You're right. I'm being illogical," Momo whispered. She couldn't do this anymore.

The heaviness in the room was palpable.

The kitchen door suddenly opened as Asui re-entered the room. Her eyes widened as she stopped in the doorway and looked between the two. "Is everything okay, kero?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

Asui blinked and tapped on her chin. "If you say so," she said hesitantly, obviously feeling the bitter tension that hung in the air.

Momo swallowed and turned, going over to the water bucket to wash her hands. She could feel Asui's eyes on the back of her head. For once, Momo wished she could talk to her, but the nereid wouldn't be alone until they retreated back to their room for the night.

She bit her lip. In all her years of knowing Tokoyami, they had never disagreed like this, and the thought made her stomach churn.

She wanted to talk to someone. She had never been very good at keeping her thoughts to herself. It was what had gotten her in trouble with Todoroki in the first place, but she couldn't help it.

"Lunch is about done," Asui said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Yaoyorozu, can you please go get the children, kero?"

Momo nodded and headed out to the courtyard. She noticed Asui step closer to Tokoyami as she closed the kitchen door behind her, and tried to ignore the hollow ache in her chest.

The mid-morning sun shone down, already hot, highlighting the enclosed grounds. Potted olive and lemon trees decorated the stoned space, and on the far left side of the courtyard, a stone oven was nestled next to the wall.

In the middle of the garden stood a simple fountain adorned with a statue of Hephaestus, god of the forge and protector of outcasts. His short blond hair was swept backwards, with two distinct tufts sticking up above his head.

She looked up and paused. Across the courtyard, the children stood in awe, watching with wide eyes and open mouths as Shouto Todoroki demonstrated different dueling poses.

Momo stepped quickly behind a pillar. She hadn't expected to see him. She felt her face warm and she pressed her hand to her chest as she leaned around the limestone pillar to watch secretly.

What was he doing out here?

The children were picking up sticks, imitating his movements as they swung at imaginary foes. Todoroki knelt down next to one of the boys and adjusted his hands.

Her chest tightened as she watched him. He seemed calmer today, she noted. Not as tense as usual.

Movement across the yard caught Momo's attention as two boys suddenly jumped on Todoroki's back. He lost his balance and fell backwards onto the ground with a huff. The boys whooped in triumph and began to wage an all-out assault on him, trying to pin Todoroki to the ground.

Momo felt the corners of her lips lift slightly. He didn't seem like the type to put up with children, and yet he was acting so gentle. It was unexpected and slightly heartwarming.

She watched them for a moment before taking a deep breath to calm herself. She stepped around the pillar, clapping. "Okay, enough," she called. "Lunch is ready. Go clean up."

The boys tumbled off of Todoroki shouting and jeering, their attention diverted as they ran back inside pushing each other.

"No pushing," Momo half-heartedly called after them. They ignored her. She sighed and looked back up. Todoroki was staring at her.

Momo froze. She felt her cheeks grow warm.

Slowly, Todoroki pushed himself up. He brushed his hands off on his chiton, and then looked back at her, his expression indecipherable.

She swallowed over a thick throat. It was the first time they had been alone like this since the incident.

Part of her urged her to turn around and not engage with him; it would only prove Tokoyami's point. But another part of her was angry. Tokoyami didn't believe her anyway, so what was the point of trying to ignore Todoroki?

She couldn't fight two fronts. Tokoyami obviously wasn't going to forgive her anytime soon. The least she could do was smooth out her relationship with Todoroki.

Momo brought a hand up to clench over her chest as they stared at each other.

"You didn't seem like the type to be fond of children," she said after a moment to break the silence.

Todoroki shrugged, and rubbed the back of his neck. "They're fine. They don't mean any harm," he said, drawing closer. "Were you helping Aizawa again?"

Momo stiffened. She had never asked his permission if she could intern under Aizawa and he had never said anything about it before. She bit her lip. "Yes, I just ended today's lesson."

Todoroki nodded. "Good."

She didn't know what to do with that response. He didn't seem angry at least. She licked her lips. She needed to apologize and couldn't afford to keep putting it off. Now was as good of time as any.

"Todoroki, I–" Momo drew in a deep breath, and dropped her gaze as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

He looked at her and raised a brow. "For what?"

Momo shifted. Her fingers tightened into the fabric of her chiton. Her heart was beating faster and faster in her chest and her throat felt dry.

"For running away. For not apologizing for what I said," she forced out.

Todoroki looked away and shrugged. "It's fine."

Her eyes snapped up, and she at him. Was that it? The conversation felt anti-climatic. She had prepared to at least have him snap at her.

She couldn't understand him at all, and didn't know what to think about that.

"How's working with Aizawa?" he suddenly asked, turning to look at her.

Momo tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as the abrupt change in topic caught her off guard. She swallowed. "I've been learning a lot. He's been teaching me how to make the bases for a lot of different healing pastes and medicines. It's actually really incredible. Even as the top healer in Troy there is still a lot I need to learn."

Todoroki nodded and — if she could read him — seemed almost vaguely pleased.

Momo bit her lip as silence settled between them and her thoughts returned to Aizawa and her recent conversation. Tokoyami had dismissed her concerns, but she couldn't push the conversation away as easily.

She looked up and studied Todoroki from under her lashes. As confusing as Todoroki's actions were, she couldn't deny that he was a highly skilled warrior with excellent judgment. It was a possibility that he would know what Aizawa was up to. Or he could think she was completely irrational.

Momo's lips thinned. "Aizawa informed me that pirates will be arriving on the island soon."

She looked up at Todoroki's face. His expression didn't change.

Momo's eyes narrowed. "You knew?"

"Suspected."

"How, then? Because we haven't launched an operation?"

Todoroki sighed and brought his hand up to rest upon his sword's hilt. "People like Aizawa are always planning something. He's been nothing but secretive since we arrived. It isn't that far-fetched that he's been hiding something like this."

It was true. The earlier conversation weighed heavily on her conscience. Why wouldn't Aizawa have said anything earlier? What benefit did he have for hiding information?

Momo pressed her lips together. "I think something is happening here," she said slowly. She looked down and brought her hand up, pressing her index finger to her chin. "The stymphalian are supposed to be vicious, which we have seen is true, but it almost seems like they have a personal grudge against Aizawa. I've had this thought for a while, but — I wonder if something happened recently to get them riled up. Do you think Aizawa did something?" she asked, looking up.

"Possibly."

"But why would Aizawa lie and make it sound like it's always been like this?"

Todoroki's expression darkened. He shrugged and looked away. "Everyone has their own agenda. Gods and mortals alike." His tone was acrid.

Momo's eyebrows drew together. "You sound resentful."

His fingers twitched on his sword. "I've just been dealing with manipulative gods and people for a long time. They use people like pawns that can be disposed of as soon as they aren't needed anymore. It's disgusting."

Momo frowned. "Did the Prince not have his own agenda? You fought for him and didn't seem to care."

He shifted. "It's not that I didn't care. Bakugo is easy enough for me to understand. He never hides what he wants. He's straightforward. I'm better at dealing with people like that than those who hide their true intentions." He looked down at her. He had an unreadable expression on his face, but his eyes seemed to search hers expectantly. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

Momo felt her stomach twist. He looked like he wanted to kiss her again. Her heartbeat began beating faster.

She knew she shouldn't, but part of her hoped he would.

He stared at her for several moments and then the mask slid back into place and he turned on his heel and walked back inside without saying another word to her.

Momo stood there staring at the space where he had been.

What was she doing?

Was she really that desperate and lonely that she wanted Todoroki to kiss her again so she'd feel wanted?

She froze as a cold sense of devastation crept over her when she realized that she was both of those things

She really was the worst.

* * *

Thank you everyone for reading. Hopefully, you all aren't too mad at me for this chapter. :P

Momo is dealing with a lot of conflicting emotions right now. Todoroki had kissed her, and unexpectedly she had kind of liked it. Shocked by her body's response, her mind tries to remind her that he could still be her enemy, leading her to accidentally say her fears out loud. Todoroki instantly pulls away, and Momo realizes her mistake. As a slave in ancient Greece, she has no rights. The fact that she basically slapped Todoroki in the face with her words, thus sends her into a panic and she flees the scene. Holed up in her room, her mind races. Knowing slaves have been beaten for less crimes than what she had just done, Momo worries that Todoroki will retaliate against her, but he never does. The one who turns out to be angry is Tokoyami. Upset that she won't listen to him, when he thinks he is giving her sound advice, Tokoyami pulls away from Momo and tells her that she can make her own decisions. Feeling alone and abandoned, Momo tries to smooth out things with Todoroki, and while the conversation goes a lot better than the one she just had with Tokoyami, Momo realizes how desperate she is for companionship.

While writing Ashes, I've actually been really conflicted with how I wanted to write Tokoyami. I didn't want him to become a 2 dimensional character, his development, although not focused on, is just as important as Momo's. I've always felt that characters don't evolve in a vacuum. It's never just one person that makes a character change, its multiple forces all acting upon someone that makes a character grow. In that sense Tokoyami's growth or lack of growth in this is just as important as Momo's to this story. Which lead me to finally decide on Tokoyami's character, which is actually based off of a RL friend's boyfriend. In cannon, Tokoyami is pretty quiet, but I have this vague sense that he does have a stubborn streak, so I used that and manipulated it to fit this story. In Ashes, Tokoyami has had to be strong to survive - not just physically, but mentally as well. He trusts his instincts above all else, and he is used to Momo only trusting and relying upon him too. So seeing Momo pull away and start to become her own person is hard for him to adjust to. It makes him more obstinate. And although, he loves Momo as a sister, and doesn't want to hurt her, his actions of pulling away are leaving Momo alone and isolated. A vicious cycle.

As always, love, love, love hearing your thoughts. Comments seriously give me life!

The next two chapters are done and with my betas now, so hopefully I'll be able to get back onto my regular posting schedule.

Notes:

Clementia - Greek goddess of mercy and forgiveness.


	11. Chapter 11: We Can (Not) Pause

**As usual big thank you to my betas: FlourChildWrites, C's Melody and 666-HyuugaNeji-999.**

**And thank you again to everyone who left a review! Like seriously**

**Fencer29 - **Lol, maybe that is true, but Tokoyami still doesn't know Todoroki well enough. And Todoroki hasn't really gone out of his way to show other sides of himself to Tokoyami either.

Can't keep dragging out this arc forever, so some things will be a mystery but Emi isn't one of them. :P

HAHAHA! I haven't even thought of Nezu's role or if he will appear, but maybe he is secretly Zeus. HAHAHA. Mice do like to procreate...

**KeroKeroNayo -** You hit the nail on the head. :) As outcasts at the temple and with a war raging Momo and Tokoyami bonded together to survive, however, now that the war is over and time "has started again" they are beginning to realize they are separate people with different thoughts. It doesn't mean that they don't still love and care for each other, but their paths are diverging. It's sad, but happens.

Also, how they deal with the aftermaths of 10 years of fighting is different. Tokoyami has a more "we" verse "them" mindset. He sees Todoroki as a symbol of everything "Greek," and so his hate and mistrust is deeper. While Momo is starting to see Todoroki as an individual. I'm really glad that you are liking the added dimension I'm trying to bring to Tokoyami's character. Sometimes I don't know if its coming through because he's basically a side character, but I'm really trying to show his motivation and thoughts in little comments and his actions.

**Snowflake100 - **Ahh! Thank you so much! I'm so glad you are liking this. As for Tokoyami and Asui, you can interpret their relationship however you want. :) Besides TodoMomo there will be very few relationships actually defined. :)

**Mihairu7 - **First off, your review sounded so poetic while I was reading it! Hahaha. But, moving onto the story, you got it right. Momo is torn. The kiss feels right, but everything and everyone is telling Momo she shouldn't feel for Todoroki, leaving her confused and upset not knowing what is right and what is wrong. I don't even think you need to jump to modern times. Society has always been telling women how to act and how to feel and Momo is stuck in this debate.

Yeah, I didn't go into detail about it, but if Todo didn't fight (kill, r***, pillage) he'd have been labeled a coward in Sparta and denied all rights of a free man. He'd become an outcast that could only be redeemed if he died in battle doing an epic deed...so, unfortunately he doesn't have much options with saying 'no.'

Haha, I agree. I like the thought of Emi and Aizawa together. But for this story, any relationships (besides a very few) outside of TodoMomo will only be implied. So readers can imagine there is something more there or you can see those relationships as just friendships.

I KNOW! Perfect husband material. I don't know a woman who doesn't feel soft seeing a guy play with kids. So of course Momo is seeing this and melting inside. All of these little encounters, that may seem inconsequential are slowly making Momo fall for Todo.

AHh! I'm so happy you like Tokoyami's character. :D I was nervous that people would see him as too controlling and ooc, but I've always believed that characters don't evolve in a vacuum so needed Tokoyami to have his own development. Also, I wanted to show how everyone is dealing with the war differently, so although I never go into Tokoyami's pov, we can see that he holds a lot of hostility and anger for what happened to Troy. And I think that mirrors the real world well. Everyone deals with events differently and Tokoyami, with his more stubborn personality, is dealing with what happened very differently than Momo. As far as overreacting, yeah...I can see your argument. But Tokoyami is stubborn and because of being an outcast in Troy, he's had to develop a personality that sticks to "his guns" so to say. So its not that he doesn't care for Momo, but he thinks he's right and is annoyed that she isn't listening to him, as he has been used to. Back in Troy, Momo and Tokoyami only had each other and although Momo is smarter, she relied on him a lot, so Tokoyami is used to being the 'big brother' who influences Momo's actions. Now that Momo is developing into her own person, they are butting heads and Tokoyami ends up frustrated and being like 'do what you want.'

**Nap-Tyme – **I know! Tokoyami is being a bit of a meanie, but he thinks his points are valid and that Momo is the one not listening to him.

Your right, this arc isn't over and the stymphalian will be back. However, there motives will slowly be revealed. Hope you like the surprise.

* * *

**Chapter 11: We Can (Not) Pause**

* * *

**49 days post the fall of Troy**

Shouto adjusted the wooden crate on his shoulder as he pushed his way through the suffocating hallway and out into the courtyard.

The pirates had arrived the evening prior, bringing with them much needed food and supplies. And, with the additional bodies, the house was overcrowded. A cacophony of curses and shouting ricocheted off the walls as fifty or so pirates spilled out of the various rooms and into the courtyard, unloading wooden crates and setting up quarters.

It made the house feel more like a military encampment or a shipyard than an orphanage. The whole scene was nostalgic, and Shouto was surprised by how at ease he felt.

He dropped the crate on the ground and drew in a deep breath as he ran a hand through his damp hair. He could feel sweat beading his forehead and sliding down his neck. He straightened and looked up.

The summer had been unnaturally hot, and that day was no exception. Even in the shade, Shouto felt the abrasive heat dancing along his skin, searing his flesh.

He wondered briefly if he could actually burn. His magic had always protected him from the heat in the past, but now that he couldn't access his powers, he wondered what would happen if he stood out under the scorching sun all day — or if he had to face Dabi again.

He looked down. Turning his arm, Shouto studied his skin for that telling reddening, but, as far as he could tell, it appeared the same. Perhaps his magic was still inside him? Shouto drew in a deep breath and tried to focus, but as he suspected, he still couldn't feel anything.

Sighing, he looked up as movement across the yard drew his attention; his eyes immediately gravitating towards her, like they always did. Like the earth was pulled towards the sun.

Yaoyorozu stood at the fountain filling vases with water. She set one down and gathered her long, dark hair up, lifting it off her neck and fanning herself with her other hand. A light sheen of sweat coated her skin.

Shouto stared at her, and his fingers twitched. In the back of his mind he wondered, with how his eyes were pulled to her, if the story about soul mates were true. Had the human body once been composed of both male and female halves? Perfectly balanced, with the male half created from the sun and female from the earth, before Zeus separated them. Forcing the separated souls to roam the earth looking for their other half?

He pressed his lips into a hard line and dismissed the thought. It was only a myth, and while some myths were rooted in fact, this one couldn't be true. It would mean that he was capable of love and being loved.

As if feeling his gaze, Yaoyorozu looked up, and her onyx eyes met his. They stared at each other for a long moment before her expression abruptly flickered, and her lips thinned. She dropped her hair and turned back to her task.

Shouto's chest tightened, and he looked away. His hands twitched slightly at his sides, and he brought his left up to rest on Endeavor's hilt. What was he thinking? He knew Yaoyorozu didn't want anything to do with him.

She may have started speaking to him again, but it felt forced. He could see it in her expressive face. She spoke to him with a cautious air, as if she thought he'd transform into a monster at any second.

And could he blame her?

He'd fucked up.

Shouto rolled his jaw. He hadn't meant to force himself on her that night. But, when she looked at him so vulnerably under the moonlight, the curse had activated, pushing him to kiss her. Or at least, he had thought it was the curse that had forced him to lean down and capture her lips -

Fuck. He closed his eyes and pressed his right fist into the center of his forehead. He was no better than his bastard of a father.

Shouto felt his insides curl at the thought. It had been haunting him since the incident, swirling in the back of his mind. He inhaled slowly as the sour taste of guilt, which was becoming all too familiar, filled his mouth.

Where had he gone wrong? Hadn't he promised himself that he would never be like his old man?

What a fuck up.

He unfurled his fist and rubbed at his temples.

It had been their first real conversation too, and he had ruined it by acting impulsively on imagined feelings.

He didn't know why the curse had made him think that Yaoyorozu would be okay with him suddenly kissing her. Shouto reasoned it was some misplaced fantasy derived, most likely, from the magic and the hope that she'd felt the same pull as he had that night.

But, of course, she wouldn't feel the same way. Yaoyorozu wasn't under the influence of a curse. She was only entertaining him to maintain her side of their bargain. That's why she had apologized last week and why she still forced herself to speak to him. It was because she thought she had breached their agreement, not because she cared for him.

Shouto dropped his hand and raised his head to watch some of the pirates set up tents in the courtyard. Slowly, he loosened his hold on Endeavor's hilt.

Fuyumi had raised him to be better than this. Even if it was within his rights as Yaoyorozu's master, was he really so weak that all it took was a little push from a spell for him to start forcing himself onto an unwilling woman? Hadn't he promised himself, after seeing what _that _bastard had put his mother through, that he'd never make a woman do something against her will?

And not only that, he had kissed her twice. Shouto sighed. He should have apologized properly last week when she had.

And maybe he should've told her about the curse.

The thought made his stomach twist viciously, and he clenched his jaw. It was hard enough for him to admit to himself that he had been cursed, but thinking of speaking it aloud made him feel sick. And angry. It felt like a moral and physical failing on his part.

Sparta's top warrior brought to his knees by a _low-level fucking_ god.

Shouto swallowed over the bitter taste of pride that had lodged itself in the back of his throat like a stone. He ran a hand through his hair before unconsciously glancing back at Yaoyorozu as she continued to work.

Maybe there was another way to apologize? It wasn't like he expected her to ever fall in love with him, but maybe they could have a tactical peace. And, if he ever could get the magic under control, maybe they could even be on friendly terms.

The sound of cursing and grunts from the doorway broke through Shouto's thoughts. He turned to watch as two pirates emerged from the hallway carrying crates identical to his own. Shouto stepped to the side as the men dropped their boxes on the ground next to his with heavy grunts.

"Fuck, that was heavy," one of the pirates said, as he straightened and cracked his back. He was slim with short brown hair. "I can't believe this is only vegetables. It feels like Emi has stuffed a body or two in there as well."

"Stop complaining, Haimawari." The other man looked up at Shouto as he wiped at his brow with the back of his arm. He had black hair down to his shoulders, which he had tied into a low braid. And the skin on his arms looked dry and flaky, reminding Shouto of a reptile's scales. "Hey, Todoroki," he said hesitantly.

The other man, Haimawari, turned to look towards Shouto as well and smiled. His expression lacked the hesitation of his companion's.

"Thanks for the help, Todoroki. I'm Koichi Haimawari, but you can call me Crawler, and that's Rin Hiryu," he said, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder to the man with black hair tied in a braid.

Shouto nodded slowly. "It's not a problem." He dropped his hand from Endeavor's hilt as he turned towards the two.

Haimawari's expression flickered, and his eyes glittered as he took a step towards Shouto. "But you're a beast, Todoroki!" he said excitedly. A genuine smile spread across his face. "Being able to carry your crate so fast up the mountain. We were struggling."

"_You _were struggling," Hiryu emphasized under his breath.

Haimawari ignored him as he continued. "And you are unexpectedly nice," he said with a laugh. "When the aurai showed up and told us that you'd be here, I placed a bet with some of the other men that you would be an actual monster — like the stories — but you're a lot nicer than people give you credit for."

"Crawler, you can't say things like that to people's faces," Hiryu whispered behind him, grimacing.

Shouto's lips twitched. He had never been the social type, but he found himself not hating the two pirates. If anything, Shouto felt the weight of his earlier thoughts fade slightly. "And you don't seem particularly like pirates."

Haimawari grinned. "Well, most of us weren't. Emi saved us." He lifted his chin in pride. "We are living upstanding lives now."

Shouto snorted; he highly doubted that.

"Most of us were slaves or from overtaken villages in the South," Hiryu clarified, stepping up next to Haimawari. "You wouldn't think it, being a pirate and all, but Emi makes us decent. Unlike others, we only steal from the Persians."

Shouto nodded but didn't know what else to say to that. It wasn't his place to judge others; the gods did that enough for everyone.

At least, they didn't seem that bad.

"Hey," Haimawari said suddenly, clearing his throat. "Todoroki, you seem to be the type that's really popular with the ladies. What do you do when a woman's angry?"

Shouto blinked. "What?"

Hiryu rolled his eyes. "Here we go again."

Haimwari ignored him. His eyes glittered as he looked at Shouto. "I've got this really cute girl back in Crete. We actually met when we were younger — I saved her from drowning. Anyways -" He waved his hand. "I was thinking that it's about time I settle down and start a family, but I haven't been very good at staying in contact with her, so what does a man do to win a lady's affection and say sorry for not being around?"

"Beg for forgiveness. And pray to the gods that she doesn't kick you out," Hiryu said seriously, without missing a beat.

Shouto's lips twitched.

"Hey!" Haimawari's eyes narrowed. "I'm being serious."

"Okay. Okay," Hiryu said with a soft laugh. Then he tilted his head back and rubbed his chin. "Well, when I get on boss' bad side, I usually get her a present," he said thoughtfully.

"A present?" Shouto echoed, tilting his head slightly to study Hiryu.

"Yeah, women love getting things," Hiryu said with a firm nod. "Like fancy outfits and jewelry and food." He counted on his fingers.

"Oh, I see," Shouto said.

"Why? What do you usually get women?" Haimawari asked, his expression intent.

Shouto tilted his head back in thought. "I don't know."

Haimawari's expression flickered in annoyance. "Oh, the life of a good-looking man. You have it so easy."

"Crawler! Scales!" someone called from inside. The two pirates looked up.

"Anyways, we'll talk to you later," Hiryu said. Shouto nodded, and Hiryu smiled.

"There's a couple more crates we have to grab before it gets dark," Hiryu said in conclusion, pulling Haimawari after him back into the house.

Shouto watched them disappear inside before he turned his attention back to Yaoyorozu.

While they had been talking, three pirates had stopped pitching tents and had instead moved over to Yaoyorozu's side, crowding around her as she offered them water. They smiled shyly at her and rubbed at their necks as they spoke to her.

Shouto's jaw clenched, and he felt his hand touch Endeavor's hilt again as he watched.

His lips thinned. Red anger built in his throat, and he swallowed thickly as he tried to push the feeling down. Yaoyorozu could take care of herself. He'd seen her ward off a group of soldiers alone, so she could handle three men. And they weren't doing anything but speaking to her.

The thought didn't make the knot of annoyance in his throat any looser.

Shouto sighed and looked away as he tried to shift his thoughts back to what Hiryu had said about women. Presents, huh? He tried to remember what he used to get Fuyumi whenever she had been upset.

Flowers.

And bugs.

He snorted slightly at his childhood memory before his expression hardened, and he looked down at the ground. There was a haze dancing above the earth. Everything in the yard had shriveled weeks ago. Flowers weren't going to be an option. Shouto tilted his head back in thought.

He really wasn't good at this.

"What's on such a handsome man's mind that he's just standing out here?" a feminine voice teased from behind him. "Were you waiting for a beautiful lady, like myself, by chance?"

Shouto stiffened and looked down as a petite woman slipped up next to him. His lips twitched. "Shouldn't you be helping?" he asked dryly.

"That's a man's job," Emi Fukukado said with a light, airy laugh. She pushed green-dyed bangs behind her ear and turned her head to stare up at him from the corner of her eye. "Besides, I don't want to break my nails."

Shouto lifted an eyebrow. "Seems like you only like to say that when it's convenient."

She giggled, her eyes turning into crescent slits as she placed her hands on her hips. "Perhaps," she said in a singsong voice, lifting her chin. "But I'm the captain, so I get to decide the rules."

Shouto snorted softly.

Fukukado shifted, dropping one of her hands from her hip. Her expression flickered, and she changed the subject. "I heard from Nejire that most of the Greek soldiers are still fighting their way back home. The gods weren't happy with their temples being ransacked and have been making it difficult for the troops sailing home. Have you heard anything from yours?"

Shouto nodded faintly. "Yeah, the aurai said that Bakugo got our troops back to Sparta, fortunately."

The pirate captain's eyes flickered. "That's good. I've heard the king of Ithica has practically disappeared off the face of the earth. I would think your father wasn't too happy to lose either."

Shouto's lips twitched. "No, he wasn't." His fingers tightened around Endeavor's red hilt, and he could feel the metal biting into his skin.

Fukukado hummed. "I see," she said thoughtfully, tilting her head back. "I was actually surprised to hear you fought for the Greeks instead of aligning with him."

Shouto studied the pirate captain. "I may have Ares' blood, but I was raised in Sparta. My loyalty lies with the two princes, Bakugo and Midoriya," he said after a moment, avoiding her gaze.

Across the yard, the three pirates were still speaking amiably with Yaoyorozu. One said something, and she brought her hand up and laughed softly.

"You know," Fukukado said. "If you keep glaring like that, my men are going to catch on fire."

He turned around and scowled down at the pirate captain.

"Eep! There it is! The fierce glare of Sparta's top warrior. Just kidding." She laughed, holding up her hands in a placating gesture. "But why don't you go to talk to her?"

Shouto rolled his jaw and looked away. "She doesn't want to talk to me," he muttered under his breath.

Fukukado raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"

Shouto sighed. "I made her angry."

She hummed. "I see. I see," Fukukado said sagely, crossing her arms and leaning back on her heels as if she knew all the answers. Perhaps she did. Women were a mystery, no one understood them except other women. "Yet, she keeps looking over here."

Shouto's heart skipped, but he pushed the feeling down and twisted his mouth into a thin line. "She's probably scared and wants to make sure I'm not going to get angry." He narrowed his eyes at Fukukado and changed the subject, "What did you want from me? I can't imagine it was just talking about the Greek troops returning home."

"Oh, you're observant." Shouto jerked as Fukukado slapped his back. "Nothing much. I'm bored. Aizawa and I were supposed to catch up on our future marriage over drinks, but he's not here."

"He'll be back soon. He just went to put out another bushfire," Shouto said, adjusting his chiton.

"Yeah, yeah. He said that," she added with a playful pout. "It seems like he's been busy, though. With the new kid and hosting you three, it sure has been active for that old man." She laughed.

Shouto shifted. "If you don't have anything important to talk to me about, then I'm going to go help unload more crates. We only have an hour or two before the stymphalian become active," he said, taking a step back.

"That's no fun," Fukukado whined. "I need a drinking buddy." She tilted her head back and looked up at the sky; muted hues of orange and red surrounded the sun as it slipped closer towards the horizon. "But — it is strange — the stymphalian were never like this before, that's why Aizawa liked this island."

Shouto stilled for a moment, but Fukukado didn't say anything else.

* * *

Shouto made his way back to the front of the house, the pirate captain's words sitting heavily on his mind. He had been paying extra attention to the monsters' activities ever since his conversation with Yaoyorozu a week ago.

It was subtle, but it was becoming apparent that the stymphalian were acting strangely; it was as if they were saving their strength for something. And the fact that Fukukado also seemed worried troubled him more than he wanted to admit.

Shouto briefly contemplated whether a god was involved, but it was too hard to tell. The island was filled with the scent of magic. But it was unlikely — the gods favored using humans to do their bidding; using monsters was considered beneath them. Still, it was strange. With the bushfires that the stymphalian had been setting and the recent prints around the orphanage, it was hard to argue that they weren't up to something.

Shouto stepped outside. The aurai was busy playing ball with Eri and Hime as the men brought up the last of the crates. He could make out the white cloth of the pirate ship's sails docked over the hills to the south.

"Todoroki! Come play with us!" the aurai called playfully.

He looked back at the nymph as she floated over the girls' heads. She had faithfully told Midoriya his message, so perhaps she wasn't as bad as he had originally thought.

"Not right now," he said absently as movement from the east side of the mountain caught his attention. Shouto turned to see Aizawa and Tokoyami making their way back up the winding path.

Eri dropped the ball they were playing with and ran towards the orphanage master. Aizawa crouched down as she held up her arms, and he leaned forward to hug her. "See? Nothing to worry about."

Shouto looked to Tokoyami as he walked past him. "How was it?" he asked.

Tokoyami paused, his yellow-bird like eyes hardening for a moment as he surveyed Todoroki. Then, he shook his head and answered. "The stymphalian have figured out how to be even more annoying than they already were -" He hesitated. His gaze flickered towards the children before looking back at Shouto. "They left some half-eaten boar carcasses for us with the intestines all pulled out and arranged in strange shapes," he said quietly.

Shouto's jaw tensed. "Do you know what they were?"

Tokoyami shook his head again. "No, but I have a bad feeling. We must do our utmost to stop them."

Shouto nodded, and Tokoyami dipped his head and swept past him back inside. Shouto turned his attention back to the orphanage master.

Aizawa slowly stood up, holding Eri in his arms. His black eyes flickered towards him. "Todoroki, I need to speak to you. Nejire, take Hime and Eri back inside."

"Okay!" the aurai said, smiling brightly and returning to the ground. She took Hime's hand and reached out for Eri. The little girl wrapped her arms tighter around Aizawa's neck.

"It's okay. I'll be right there. I just need to speak to Todoroki."

Eri looked up at Aizawa's face and then nodded faintly. He put her on the ground, and she took the aurai's hand as she followed the nymph back inside.

Aizawa watched them return inside, before motioning for Shouto to follow him. They walked out to the edge of the hill, and then, Aizawa stopped and pulled a leather pouch from his chiton.

"Here." Azawai tossed him the bag.

On instinct, Shouto caught it. The pouch tinkled as it landed in his palm. Shouto hesitated and then opened the purse to find a handful of silver drachma. Enough to live comfortably for a year. Shouto looked up at Aizawa and raised a brow.

"Change," Azawai stated. "For the gold bracelet and your help."

Shouto nodded and drew the strings on the pouch closed and tucked it into his belt. He looked back at Aizawa. The older man seemed to be studying him. "How's your eye?"

Shouto shrugged slightly and looked away. "Better. It's not perfect, but I can see out of it."

"Good."

"And your magic?"

Shouto stiffened. "What about it?"

Aizawa turned and looked back out at the ocean. "You haven't used your magic since you arrived."

"It's fine," he bit out, avoiding the orphanage master's gaze as he looked out at the pirate ship in the distance.

The bright light of the sinking sun began to cast soft rays of red and orange across the blue sky. As Shouto looked out at the pirate ship, a shadow flickered in his periphery.

Shouto froze. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

It was only for an instant, but he was sure he had seen something move in the fading light. He brought his hand to Endeavor's hilt and squinted into the brush.

"Todoroki, what is it?" Aizawa asked. His voice was tense.

Shouto's lips thinned, and he tightened his hold on his sword. "I don't know. I thought I saw something." The words had barely left his mouth when it hit him.

Dark magic.

It was so thick in the air; he could almost taste it.

Stymphalian.

They had never come out this early before; Apollo hadn't even finished pulling the sun across the sky yet, but the magic was unmistakable.

"Get inside!" he shouted.

Aizawa nodded sharply. "Hold them off!" He turned and took off back towards the house.

Another shape flickered. Closer. To his left.

Shouto pulled out Endeavor and took a step forward. Aizawa was almost at the door. He just needed to keep the stymphalian busy until they got inside.

Razor-sharp feathers suddenly shot out of the bushes on his left. Shouto raised Endeavor, blocking the stymphalian's attack, but his spatial awareness was off, and the attack knocked him off balance. Shouto twisted, catching himself from falling. He looked up. The hillside was filling with stymphalian. They had used the bushes and shadows of fading sunlight to surround the house.

From his right, a shadow emerged, launching itself at Aizawa's retreating back, its talons outstretched. Shouto lunged forward, and with a quick movement, cut the legs off the creature. The stymphalian screamed in pain as its body skidded across the ground.

Another stymphalian leapt at him, and Shouto spun and buried Endeavor in its throat. From the corner of his right eye, he saw the rest of the stymphalian dash after Aizawa into the house.

Shouto cursed. He pulled Endeavor out of the creature's neck and rushed after them.

The house was a war zone. Screams ricocheted through the hallways, and the tile was already slick with blood. Bodies and limbs lay scattered throughout the rooms. They had been caught unaware.

He wondered if any of them were Yaoyorozu's.

Shouto's stomach plummeted. He hoped she had stayed outside. He hurried along the corridor, checking each body quickly. None were her. He almost breathed a sigh of relief but forced himself to move on.

He knew that she was smart and a fairly good fighter, but that didn't lessen the sudden worry he felt for her well being. Shouto ground his teeth.

A woman's voice sounded from the courtyard. It was Yaoyorozu's. He was sure of it.

Shouto rushed towards the back door.

Sharp-edged feathers suddenly shot out of one of the side rooms to his left. Shouto twisted, but not fast enough.

He stumbled back, glancing down, and found feathers embedded in his arm. Blood was flowing freely down his arm. He hissed through his teeth as he pulled the feathers out.

A couple of stymphalian had emerged from Aizawa's storeroom. The corridors were too tight for their winged bodies, but they were also too narrow for Shouto to be able to swing Endeavor around easily. He snarled and slid into a defensive stance.

One of the stymphalian sprang forward. Shouto readied himself, but before the stymphalian's talons could clash with Endeavor, two pirates jumped in front of him, paring the creature's steel feet.

Shouto's eyes widened as the men pushed the stymphalian back. It was the pirates from earlier.

"Don't worry," Haimawari said, bringing his sword up.

Hiryu moved closer. "We got this. Go help everyone else," he shouted, stepping up next to Haimawari. "We're used to fighting in narrow spaces."

Shouto nodded and turned, rushing out towards the courtyard and the sound of metal clashing.

The yard was bathed in dusty blues and reds of the setting sun and the thick stench of blood. The tents that the pirates had erected earlier were torn piles of cloth on the ground. The flock of stymphalian had climbed over the wall and roof and destroyed everything in their path.

Shouto looked up, and his eyes immediately fell on Yaoyorozu fighting on the second floor. Asui and Eri were with her.

Immediately the tightening in his chest lessened as he watched her slash one of the creatures. She could do this. She wasn't weak. Shouto took a quick breath and forced himself to survey the rest of the chaos.

Everyone was spread out.

Some of the pirates were on the roof, trying to keep the stymphalian from landing. Aizawa and Tokoyami were taking down the few in the courtyard, but with the sun not yet set, Tokoyami's power wasn't as effective.

He tightened his hold on Endeavor's hilt and rushed forward. A stymphalian turned to attack, but the creature wasn't quick enough. Shouto's blade slid through its chest. He twisted and pulled his sword out and jumped back as feathers rained down onto where he had stood.

There was a scream. Shouto spun. A pirate fell back, metal talons embedded in his chest. Shouto leaped at the creature, cutting its head off with a clean movement.

He knelt down to check the man's pulse. It was faint but still there. He was lucky.

A child's high pitched scream rang out through the yard. Shouto looked up sharply. A stymphalian had grabbed hold of Eri. It had sunk its talons into her shoulder.

"Eri!" Aizawa roared, shooting knives at the creature, but it flexed its steel wings, and the knives bounced off.

Eri screamed in pain as she tried to pull herself free. The stymphalian moved, beating its wings as it pulled her from the veranda. Asui tried to jump for her, but it was too late — the monster was already out of reach.

The aurai darted at them, aiming some sort of sparkling, yellowish magic at the creatures, but as if in sync, the flock suddenly took flight, filling the sky with their steel wings. The aurai's magic hit against their wings and bounced off, ineffective.

Shouto's breath caught in his chest. His mind raced. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible. The stymphalian weren't supposed to be smart enough to think of strategies like this, but they had.

The stymphalian carrying Eri climbed higher into the darkening sky.

There was no time to think further. The creatures were focused on blocking the aurai and the pirates shooting at them from the roof. The window to take down the monster with Eri was closing. Shouto tightened his fingers on Endeavor's hilt, pulled his arm back, and flung his sword.

Endeavor whirled through the air, cutting through the stymphalian's unprotected neck. Its head toppled off, and the creature's talons released Eri. She plunged towards the ground.

_Shit. _

She'd hit her head and crack her skull open.

Suddenly, Yaoyorozu jumped from the veranda and grabbed the girl mid-air, tucking her head into her chest. They hit the ground together with a loud thud.

Shouto's eyes widened. It felt like all the air had been sucked out of his lungs. He couldn't breathe. His insides felt like they had cauterized as he staggered towards them.

Then, Yaoyorozu sat up slowly, and Shouto almost fell down in relief.

She was safe.

She was safe.

She was safe.

He drew in a deep breath when a feral screech of rage sounded to his left. Shouto wiped his head around, and his eyes widened as his gaze landed on the last stymphalian.

It was rushing across the yard towards Yaoyorozu.

Her eyes were dazed as she stood up shakily, Eri in her arms. She hadn't noticed the creature yet.

Everything within him went cold. Shouto's vision narrowed, and he stumbled forward.

He needed to get to her. He needed to save her.

Shouto broke out in a cold sweat as he lunged forward. He grit his teeth. He could taste a metallic tang on his tongue. There was no other sound besides the rushing of blood in his ears.

His heart was beating rapidly. Everything around him blurred as he bolted across the yard.

It was almost on her.

He wouldn't be able to make it in time.

Yaoyorozu's eyes suddenly widened, and he could see the fear flicker across her features as she finally registered her surroundings.

Then something white and hot exploded inside him, and Shouto felt inhuman strength rush through him.

* * *

Sorry, I know there wasn't a lot of TodoMomo interaction in this chapter, but hopefully it was enjoyable enough. Your feedback gives me life!

Notes:

"Sun to the Earth" - this line, used earlier, is actually in reference to a Greek myth around soulmates. According to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. The gender of humans had to do with their origin; the Men were children of the Sun and Women were the children of the Earth. In this state, humans were said to be incredibly powerful. And fearing their power, Zeus split humans into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves. Apollo, feeling bad for them, sewed them up, leaving just the navel as the only reminder of their original form. So, humans went from double face and double sex creatures with eight limbs, to single faced ones of a single sex, with two arms and two legs. And they forever longed for their soul and physical other half. Their physical nature would feel a burning desire to be completed with the physical nature of the other sex, and their soul alike would yearn for their soul's other half be complete, their soulmate.

Persia - Persia, which would have been in modern day Iran, built their empire around 550 b.c. At the empire's height, would have encompassed modern-day Iran, Egypt, Turkey and parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were generally considered the enemy of Greeks.

King of Ithaca - this is a reference to Homer's epic poem, Odyssey. The story is about the King of Ithica, Odysseus, trying to get back home after the Trojan war. To sum the story up, he angered the gods on his way home, and so they blew him off course and he spent 10 years trying to get home. Harsh...

Koichi Haimawari "Crawler" - is from the spin-off Vigilante series of Boku no Hero. In this he's a pirate. I've actually never read Vigilantes so sorry if his personality is completely off.

Hiryu Rin - is from class 1-B. In this he's a pirate.


	12. Chapter 12: We Can (Not) Be Strong

Everyone, thank you so much for all your positive feedback on last chapter. I seriously was not expecting it. All your love blew me away! Thank you!

Also, thank you to my awesome betas: FlourChildWrites & C's Melody!

* * *

**Mihairu7 -** I know. D: At his core, Todo is a good guy and, curse or no curse, he doesn't want Momo to feel threatened by him.

Aww thanks! I'm glad you liked the pirates asking Shouto for advice. I thought that was a nice lighter touch. Todo is so good looking (even in canon) probably ppl who don't know him think he's got all the moves. Hahaha.

**Fencer29 –** Lol, was his name really mispronounced as in Vigilantes? I've never actually read it so took some liberties with his portrayal. haha. Reply: There are locals who've known who the Crawler is since the start of his vigilante career, yet still argue over whether his name is "Kruller" or "Hauler" or "Howler". Even Detective Tsukauchi once got it wrong (although that was probably intentional on his part, since he phrased the question in a manner which allowed Kouchi to answer truthfully without revealing his secret identity).

**Nejitenfan –** Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed. :)

**KeroKeroNyao** \- It does sound like fire now that you mention it, but whether it is his powers returning or not you'll have to wait and see. Haha.

Yay! I'm glad it caught you off guard. That's exactly what I was going for. :D I wanted it to feel as sudden for readers as Todo and the characters of Ashes felt.

I love the sun and earth soul mate myth too! It's so romantic. T_T Ooo! Those are really good theories.

**Guest Caro–** Aww! Thank you so much for such a kind review! I can't believe you are reading this in English when it's not your first language. That is amazing! And I'm so happy I got you interested in Greek Mythology because of this! That is seriously awesome and is one of the best compliments. :D

So, I got inspired to write this story because I wanted to say 'thank you' to one of my betas, and she had requested an ancient Greek story. I then was trying to think of the plot and, since I've always loved Greek mythology, I wanted the story to have some of the elements of the Greek myths like monsters and vengeful gods.

I'm trying to update every three weeks, but no promises. :P And the story will probably be around 25 chapters. There are 3-4 more chapters of this arc. Then basically one more arc after this which will probably be 8 chapters long.

Hope you stay healthy too! And thank you so much for the review!

**Snowflake100 –** Awww Thank you so much! You are too kind. :D

**Nap-Tyme –** Thank you so much girl! Lol, if Todo went Super Saiyan and obliterated the stympahlian in one go, then that would be super convenient but would be violating one of Pixar's rules on storytelling. :P Aww. I'm so glad you love Eri in this. I am writing so many of these characters for the first time so it makes me so happy to know that people like how I am portraying them.

OMG I was laughing so hard at your comment that Tokoyami "was just a little jealous bird." Hahaha.

Ah! I'm so glad you like the notes. I find they always help me too. I actually love author's notes and always read every stories' note section. Thank you so much!

* * *

**Chapter 12: We Can (Not) Be Strong**

* * *

Momo froze as if petrified by Medusa's stare.

The stymphalian bird was close. Too close. She had jumped to catch Eri without thinking and now was out in the open weaponless.

She needed to get away.

The gravel bit into her flesh as Momo scrambled to her feet, but she wasn't fast enough. The stymphalian was almost on her.

10 meters.

5 meters.

Terror welled up inside her chest as she realized she wouldn't be able to dodge.

It was only a few meters away. There was no time to think.

Momo twisted sharply, using her body to shield Eri. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the searing pain of steel shredding through her skin. Her pulse thudded feverishly in her throat.

CRACK.

She flinched. The sudden sound vibrated down her spine. Then, there was a heavy thud and silence. Momo did a quick internal assessment, and her body nearly collapsed with relief. She was uninjured. But it had been so close. So very close. Her heart beat furiously in her chest.

Tentatively, Momo cracked her eyes open and turned around. She gasped and stared in disbelief.

Shadows had surrounded her. They had risen up from the ground like an impenetrable wall of black velour.

_Tokoyami._

He was protecting her. Her mouth went dry, and her legs wobbled at the realization.

Then there was a hiss. The darkness curled, and Momo's breath caught in her throat as it plunged towards the ground, like a black waterfall collapsing. On the other side, the shape of a man came into view.

_Tokoyami? _

_No. It wasn't him._

She drew in a sharp breath; her eyes widened as the last of the shadows disappeared. Across the courtyard, Todoroki stood with the stymphalian at his feet. Its head lay contorted, as if its neck had been snapped, but... that couldn't be. No mortal was strong enough to kill a stymphalian with their bare hands — only a god.

Momo swallowed over a tight throat as Todoroki slowly raised his head. He was breathing raggedly. Black blood speckled his neck and jaw. And his expression was icy, but his heterochromatic eyes were ethereally bright. They shone like a pair of silver daggers and turquoise flames in the fading light as they met hers.

Time seemed to stop.

Her hands clenched tighter around Eri's small form. Todoroki was dangerous.

She'd always known that, but over the last weeks she'd also forgotten how truly terrifying he was. But... he hadn't hurt her. And a part of her whispered that, no matter what Tokoyami said, he never would. It didn't make sense, but at that moment, Momo didn't care. She drew in a deep breath and lifted her chin as she forced herself not to shrink away.

His eyes glittered, and he stepped over the stymphalian towards her.

"Yaoyorozu!"

The sudden voice jolted her. Momo tore her eyes away as Tokoyami appeared at her side. Panic shone in his bird-like eyes; his feathers were ruffled from the fight. He grabbed her roughly, his fingers dug forcefully into her shoulders as he turned her to face him. Momo hissed through her teeth as a sharp pain shot through her right side.

"Yaoyorozu!" Tokoyami promptly released her. His eyes were wide and scared as he looked her over, glancing over the tears in her chiton and the black blood that mated on her skin. Tokoyami hesitated; his feathers rustled in the humid breeze, now laced with the sickening tang of blood.

Momo took a deep breath to steady her still rapidly beating heart and gave him a shaky smile. "I'm okay. We're okay. Thank you." She tightened her hold on Eri, then froze. She looked down in horror. "Eri!"

The young girl wasn't moving. Perspiration dotted her forehead, and her breathing was ragged.

Momo scanned her body quickly. The puncture wounds on her shoulders were deep. She was bleeding heavily from where the stymphalian's claws had grabbed her, but she shouldn't have lost consciousness from that. These weren't the symptoms of a regular puncture wound.

A cold terror swept over her. Momo's chest constricted. Blood ran down Eri's front and over Momo's hands. It wasn't stopping.

"Eri!" Aizawa shouted as he vaulted down the stairs towards them. Tokoyami stepped aside as Aizawa hurried closer and pulled Eri from Momo's arms. Her shoulder twinged at the movement, but she pushed the pain away as she watched Aizawa hold the child close.

She curled her hand over her heart. What had happened? Momo was sure she had caught her before hitting the ground, but her memories fused together in a continuous blur of movement and fear. Was this her fault? Had she done something to hurt Eri? Her heart was frozen in her chest.

"It's okay. You were brave. I got you," Aizawa whispered, kissing Eri's forehead. Eri moaned for the first time, and Aizawa looked down, his lips twisting into a frown as he studied the talon wounds.

Asui appeared next to Momo. "What's wrong with her?" she asked, her normally steady voice quivering with emotion.

Momo shook her head fervently. "I don't know." Her voice sounded almost shrill. "She has a fever, and the wounds on her shoulders aren't congealing."

Her stomach twisted almost painfully, and she wrapped her arms around herself. She felt sick with guilt.

Suddenly, a hand pressed against the small of her back. Momo stilled at the contact and looked up sharply. Todoroki stood stoically behind her, watching the scene.

He looked down and met her gaze. The strange light that had shone in his eyes a moment ago was gone as if it had only been her imagination. Then his hand pressed more firmly into her back.

Momo swallowed. She didn't know why, but it felt like he was anchoring her, tethering her to shore so that she couldn't be swept out to sea with her emotions. Focusing on the heat of his palm, Momo turned back towards Aizawa. She felt her heart rate slow.

She didn't know what Todoroki had done, but whatever it was, it had calmed her.

When had she become so fragile? Momo drew in a deep breath. She could think about it later; for now, she tried to stay calm. Aizawa and Eri needed her. Momo pushed her worry and guilt away, sealing it behind a wall in the back of her mind as she had routinely done during the war.

She turned her attention towards Aizawa as he looked up and met her gaze. "The stymphalian must have poisoned their talons." His expression was stony. "Go get the antidote sitting on the top shelf of my room and the surgery materials."

Momo nodded sharply and pulled away from Todoroki. Her heart twinged at the loss of contact, but she pushed the feeling away. She could evaluate Todoroki's actions later.

"Aizawa!" The desperate voice of the pirate captain made her freeze.

Momo looked up as Fukukado hurried over. She was pale, and cradled her left arm against her chest. Blood dripped through her fingers and onto the ground.

"They got two of my men, Haimawari and Hiryu." Her voice had a slight edge of barely contained fury to it. "They're alive. We got to go after them!"

Aizawa's head jerked up, and he stared at the pirate angrily. "No," he snapped. Then swallowed and softer added. "We need a strategy. The Teppodama Hassaishu haven't shown themselves yet. It's too risky to go after them without a plan."

"But –" Fukukado opened and closed her mouth, as if struggling to find an argument against Aizawa. Then hissed between her teeth and looked away, her eyes were shimmering with what were probably tears of frustration and anger.

"Then what do we do?" Tokoyami asked.

Aizawa was silent for a moment. Then his mouth twisted. "We'll move up the plan to attack." A ripple ran through the group. "Meet me in my chambers after you've tended to the wounded," he said. "Asui, go with Yaoyorozu and grab as many vials of Eri's medicine as you need from the stockroom."

Tokoyami stepped forward before Aizawa could turn away. "What about the stymphalian that got away?"

Aizawa paused and glanced at the courtyard, filled with the dead and dying. "They won't be back tonight," he said after a moment.

The group dispersed. Aizawa swept away, carrying Eri to her room.

* * *

There was nothing left.

Momo felt her legs buckle under her.

"It's all gone! I don't under - When did this -" Asui shook her head in disbelief. "How?"

Aizawa's medical room was a disaster. It looked like a whirlwind had blown through the storeroom, upturning shelves and ripping apart anything in its path. The table had been shredded into tiny pieces of wood, lying like sharp needles on the ground and mixing with the smashed tinctures of Eri's potion.

"They shouldn't have known. It - it doesn't make sense." Momo swallowed, then looked sharply at Asui. "Go tell Aizawa!"

Asui nodded and rushed out.

Momo squeezed her eyes shut, drew in a ragged breath to steady herself, and began looking for anything salvageable. She nearly gasped in relief as she found the wicker basket of surgical tools lying scattered in the far corner of the room, but still intact.

She collected everything as quickly as possible and then hurried over to the shelves that held the stymphalian antidote.

The top shelf was intact, the sealed elixirs untouched. It must have been high enough that the stymphalian destruction hadn't been able to reach it.

Standing on her tiptoes, she reached up to the jars and paused. There were only four jars instead of five.

Momo's lips thinned. She counted the bottles again, studying the painted labels, but she couldn't remember which of the jars was missing.

She didn't have time.

Momo tried to quell the feeling of unease as she grabbed the painted jar of stymphalian antidote. Pain throbbed in her shoulder as she pulled it from the shelf.

It felt like a tweak. Worse case, a sprain.

She grit her teeth. There was nothing she could do about it right now. Momo straightened up as she pushed the pain away and stuffed the jar into the basket. She hurried upstairs to join Aizawa in Eri's room.

* * *

Eri was pale and feverish. Momo pulled out the antidote and handed the basket to Aizawa to ready the surgical instruments. Moving to Eri's side, she tipped Eri's head back, pouring the healing serum down her throat. The little girl moaned faintly, then fell quiet again.

Momo's chest tightened. There was little they could do. Eri's power was a double-edged sword. She could heal the most devastating injuries on anyone but herself. They would have to wait for her to heal naturally. Momo sent up a small prayer to Apollo as Aizawa began sewing up her shoulders.

They didn't speak until he finished tying the end of the flax.

"Alright," Aizawa said at last. "I'm done." He sighed in relief as he leaned back in his chair and threw the scissors into the basket at his feet. His face was ashen, and there were prominent dark circles under his eyes. He looked older and more tired than she had ever seen him.

Momo felt a pang in her chest as she handed him a wet towel. She watched him wipe down his hands. Despite his severe attitude, Aizawa cared deeply for each of the children he fostered. And seeing Eri like this, in pain and unable to ease her suffering, ate at him.

Aizawa finished wiping his hands and scrunched the towel into a ball. Then, he paused and stared down at the cloth for several moments. Momo could see the muscles of his jaw working as he kept clenching and releasing it.

"Asui said my medicine closet was destroyed," he finally said. His voice was wooden, almost hollow, and trembled almost imperceptibly.

Momo bit her bottom lip. She nodded faintly. "Yes…"

Aizawa let out a low, deep breath. He leaned forward and dropped his head to stare at the floorboards between his feet. "Nothing?"

"I - I don't know… Asui is looking now." Momo swallowed and looked away.

The stymphalian had never attacked like that before. Although the Teppodama Hassaishu still hadn't shown up, the stymphalian sent this time had been stronger and smarter than anything they had fought before. But why? What had changed?

Momo's eyes drifted back to Eri. She was sleeping, but her breathing was still labored. Yet, the effects of the antidote seemed to be working, and her temperature had gone down. Momo's stomach curled as the realization hit her.

"The attack just now… it was to kidnap her, wasn't it?" she asked softly.

Aizawa stiffened. She could see his lips press into a thin line. Then his shoulders slumped, and he let out a low, tired sigh. "Yes."

It felt like she had been slapped. Momo squeezed her eyes shut as a sickening wave of dysphoria churned in her stomach. She should have been prepared; if she had only known, she could have done more. How could any creature deliberately target a child? Then again, the world they lived in had little love for half-blood monsters. Even the gods scorned them. The world was cruel, she should know that. Aizawa's orphanage was an exception, not the rule.

Momo swallowed thickly and opened her eyes to stare at Aizawa. "Why?" Her voice shook on the word.

Aizawa turned his hands over, studying the blood that the towel hadn't absorbed.

The silence stretched. Momo had assumed he wouldn't answer by the time he finally spoke again. "The stymphalian have heard that they can turn back into humans if they eat the blood of a special half-monster child…"

"_I want Master Aizawa," _Eri had mumbled into her shoulder only a few weeks ago as she woke plagued by terrors.

Momo's stomach plummeted at the memory. All those nightmares about being eaten and torn apart — they weren't just a child's imagination. The fear was real, and Momo had dismissed it.

She brought a hand up to touch her throat. "And they think that child is Eri?" she forced out. It felt like a boulder had pressed down on her chest.

Aizawa nodded faintly and turned to look at her. "It's not true," he said firmly. His eyes flashed. "There is no way for them to return to normal, but someone has tricked them, and they've been attacking us ever since."

"Do you have any ideas why? Who would trick them like that? It's so cruel."

Aizawa shook his head and looked back at Eri. "I have some ideas... but can't prove it. At least not yet."

Momo swallowed and stared at him as silence descended upon them. She didn't know what to think. To learn that they had been attacking the orphanage almost constantly for a month to obtain Eri shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was. And, with the addition of someone else directing the stymphalian, there was too much to think about.

"I can take care of Eri for now. You should go check on everyone else," she finally said.

Aizawa turned to face Momo. She breathed deeply and folded her hands in front of her. "The other children will be worried, and the men are hurt. They need you." She tried to force herself to smile.

Aizawa closed his eyes and sighed heavily, like someone admitting defeat. He ran a hand down his face, then looked at her. "Come to my room with the others when you are done. We can go over the new plan."

Momo nodded. Aizawa stood up and straightened his clothes. Then he gave her a hard look. "And don't work yourself too hard, Yaoyorozu. We can't afford to lose anyone else," Aizawa said, moving past her to the door.

Momo stiffened at his words. It almost sounded like a reproach, as if he didn't trust her. Momo bit her bottom lip and listened to the door open behind her. Aizawa's footsteps were heavy, like the weight of his task was too heavy for him.

She shook her head; she was being ridiculous. He knew what she was capable of — his words had been a general statement, she reminded herself. It wasn't that he blamed her for Eri being hurt or for her earlier slip in composure. He was just as shaken from the night as she was.

Her hands trembled, and she curled them into fists. After a deep breath, she turned back around to grab the jar of honey from the basket. Taking Aizawa's place by Eri's side, she unscrewed the top and scooped a generous portion onto a clean cloth.

Gently, Momo applied the thick substance onto Eri's wounds to keep bacteria out. The skin around her sutures was angry and inflamed. She'd have to keep a close eye on them for the next couple of days to make sure Eri's body didn't reject the sutures.

She closed the jar and put it back into the basket, then paused, looking down at Eri. She had stopped sweating, and her breathing had evened out.

As Momo watched her, suddenly, the emotional whiplash from that evening hit her. Momo's hands began to tremble and her heart raced. So many people had died that night. The courtyard was filled with the hurt and dying. She could smell the stench of their blood and decaying bodies in the summer heat hanging around the house like a thick fog.

And she could have been one of them.

A choked sob built up in her chest, and she swallowed it, pressing the back of her hand over her mouth.

Where had this weak person come from? Momo had dealt with death everyday — for 10 years — and now, all of a sudden, a month after the war, she was shaking and acting like it was her first time in this situation.

She was pathetic. And to make it worse, the general sense of guilt over Eri and foreboding that sat in the center of her chest at Aizawa's words pulled at her. She felt alone and so very, very cold.

She wished Tokoyami was here, but he wasn't. He was helping everyone downstairs. And she shouldn't be so selfish to call him for something that she should know how to deal with herself.

Momo dropped her hands and closed her eyes as she forced herself to concentrate on her breathing. There was no room for this kind of behavior. She needed to focus on the situation and what was going on.

The stymphalian were smart, but not this smart. It was easy to write off their actions that night — stealing two of the pirates and trying to take Eri — as carnivorous creatures looking for a meal. And, to the regular person, that would be what it looked like. But the attack had been too complex, too coordinated to be designed by them. And Aizawa's earlier statement had confirmed it.

The stymphalian wanted Eri for her powers, and someone was pulling the strings, but who?

Could a witch be involved?

Or a god?

Dread curled in her stomach at the thought. Their last encounter with a god hadn't ended well.

"How's she doing?"

Momo opened her eyes and turned to look towards the door. Todoroki was leaning against the doorframe, watching her. His eyes shone faintly in the flickering candlelight as they met hers.

Her heart stuttered slightly at his presence. She had hoped to have more time to reflect on the feelings his earlier actions had elicited, but with everything else, she hadn't had a chance to think.

She drew a deep breath and looked back at Eri. "She's stabilized. Her fever has gone down, and she's resting as best she can now." Momo leaned forward and reached over to brush pieces of white hair out of Eri's face. Then she sat back on her chair and straightened, turning her attention back to Todoroki. "Aizawa said it could be a few days before her body can neutralize the poison."

Todoroki nodded faintly and then straightened. His expression rippled and then softened as his gaze traced her figure, her mussed hair and the state of her chiton. Even now, despite the confusion and worry burrowing in Momo's chest, a piece of her took note and cared that he took the time to notice her.

His eyes narrowed, as if studying her. "And you? How are you feeling? How's your shoulder?"

Momo blinked, startled. She hadn't realized he had noticed that. She reached up to massage the juncture of her neck and looked away. "It's fine. I tweaked it earlier when I landed, but it isn't anything serious."

"You should treat it."

Momo shook her head, dropping her hand. "There's nothing that will treat a sprained shoulder," she said, looking back at him. She frowned. "Besides, even if there were, the wounded would need it more than me. The stymphalian destroyed the medicine closet during their attack. There's - there's hardly anything left."

He looked at her sharply. "What?"

Momo's hands curled into fists on her lap as she avoided his gaze. "They destroyed everything. Somehow they knew about the potions Aizawa has been making. I don't know how, but they did."

Todoroki was silent. Momo watched him. His expression hardened, and he stared intently at an invisible spot on the floor.

Momo took a moment to look him over. His clothing was torn and dirtied like her own, but he had cleaned the blood off his face and neck. Her eyes lowered, and she stiffened as she watched blood drip down Todoroki's arm and patter silently onto the floor.

"You're hurt," she said, her mouth twisting as she stood up.

Todoroki's jaw twitched, and his fingers curled into a fist as he pulled his arm behind his back. "It's nothing serious," he said, not looking at her.

Momo stepped closer. "It's not nothing," she said firmly.

He looked back at her, and his eyes smoldered with an emotion she didn't recognize. "And your shoulder isn't nothing either."

Momo frowned. "I told you, I can't do anything for my shoulder besides rest it. But I can heal your arm." She reached out to him, and he pulled away. Momo felt her stomach drop, but she ignored it as she stared up at him. "Please let me look at it. The stymphalian poisoned their talons, I have to make sure your wound isn't infected."

"No."

Anger flickered through her. "Why not?"

"Not unless you promise to rest your shoulder," he said firmly.

Why was he being difficult? "I'm fine. Please let me look." She reached for him again, but he pulled away.

"Stop putting others before yourself." His voice was hard. Momo froze, and she looked up at Todoroki's face, bewildered. He rolled his jaw and dropped his gaze. "You have a tendency to work yourself too hard. I don't want you to forget to take care of yourself," he said more softly.

Momo's stomach twisted almost painfully. Did he believe that she was too weak to help him? After she had defended herself against the Athenians, pulled him through the ocean on a piece of wood, after he had even encouraged her to work with Aizawa, did he still doubt her capabilities?

She swallowed hard before she finally spoke. "Is that an order?" she asked softly.

Another unreadable emotion flashed behind his eyes. He shifted. "No," he said, avoiding her gaze.

More confusing statements. Did no one think she could handle herself? She took a step back, shaking her head. Her insides felt cold. This was because of her. He had seen her fall apart earlier and didn't trust her anymore. She was unreliable. "I - I assure you I won't be a burden to you."

He looked up sharply. Her emotions must have been clear on her face, because something shifted in his expression, and he took a step closer, raising a hand, almost as if he were reaching for her.

"It's not about you being a burden," Todoroki said stiffly. "You're not a burden, obviously. I'm trying to think about you… your shoulder, I mean. What I'm trying to say is that my injuries are not as important here. You're not a burden. I just... You understand, right?"

Momo's eyebrows furrowed as she considered his jaw clench in a strained expression. She did not understand, and he seemed to be struggling. He dropped his hand and looked away. Blood was running down his arm and pooling in droplets on the floor. Shouto sighed deeply. "I'll let you look at my arm, but… promise me you'll rest soon?"

Momo hesitated, then nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Okay." In his own way, maybe he really was trying to be considerate.

This response seemed to be enough for Todoroki. His posture relaxed. He moved towards the bed and took a seat on the edge, careful of Eri. He extended his arm.

Momo sat back down in the chair and carefully took it, assessing the puncture wounds. They were clean. It appeared that the stymphalian had only poisoned their talons. Relief flooded her. She picked up ointment from the basket.

"Sorry, this might sting," she said softly, lightly dabbing the medicine onto his arm.

Todoroki twitched but didn't make a sound. She pulled out a cloth and began wrapping his wound.

He had saved her earlier, and she still needed to thank him.

Her eyes drifted down to his hand. Had he really killed the stymphalian with his bare hands? They looked so similar to her own. They were larger, of course, but he had callouses in similar places as she did. She remembered the feel of his hand on her lower back and how it had calmed her.

Momo knotted the bandage and sat back, looking back up at Todoroki. His expression was drawn, but there was a sadness in his eyes. It was the same look he had worn earlier, when she had left him in the courtyard. Momo swallowed.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly. "And I don't just mean your arm. How are you holding up?"

Todoroki's eyes flickered back to her, then away again. "I met them today." His jaw twitched. Momo's eyebrows drew together in concern. His fingers were visibly shaking. She watched quietly as Todoroki's free hand moved to his sword's hilt, and he wrapped his fingers around the red hilt as he continued. "The two pirates who were taken. I helped them unload crates."

He swallowed. "When the stymphalian attacked, they stepped in to take the ones in the house… I should have stayed with them, but instead, I left and now they are dead or going to be soon." His voice was tight with emotion she had never seen in him before.

It made her chest ache. Gently, she slid her hand down his arm to take his hand. Todoroki's eyes widened, and he looked at her sharply. Momo paused, waiting for him to react, but when he didn't say anything or pull away, she bundled her courage and gave his hand a tentative squeeze.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Her throat felt swollen, and she blinked back the sudden moisture accumulating in her eyes. "But — you saved me, so thank you."

Todoroki looked down at her hand curled in his. "Of course." His voice was thick. He squeezed softly. "I don't want to lose you."

Momo's breath caught. He was doing it again. Saying things that didn't make sense, but made her heart speed up. All his actions were so confusing. But, when she was with him, she felt in control and not quite as alone. She didn't know what to think of that.

Momo looked up, and her breath caught as her gaze met his. She hadn't realized how close they were sitting. There was a brief moment of stillness between them. They were close enough for their breaths to ghost over each other's faces. And every time he blinked, she could see his long lashes flutter against his cheeks. They were the same color as his hair.

Her eyes traced along his scar and slowly moved back to meet his eyes. They were watching her intently.

Momo felt heat spread up her neck and dropped her gaze to stare at their hands. She could feel the calluses along his palm. His hand was warm and hers fit so nicely in his.

There was a sharp knock on the door.

Momo withdrew her hand from Todoroki's and turned to see Tokoyami in the doorway. His eyes flickered between them, then he straightened.

"Aizawa wishes to speak to us downstairs. All of us."

* * *

Action is starting to intensify! There's about 3-4 more chapters of this arc. Hope you all enjoy and thank you so much for sticking with this.

All comments and feedback are welcome.

Notes:

Teppodama Hassaishu - otherwise known as the 'Eight Bullets' in English, these men are Overhaul's top guards. In this story they are the leaders of the Stymphalian birds.

Stymphalian - were a group of monstrous birds in Greek mythology. They devoured humans, and had beaks made of bronze. Their feathers were sharp and metallic and could be thrown against their prey.


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